Peter James and John Mat. 26.41 when Christ called on them to watch and pray he comes and finds them sleeping what saith he the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak even then when he had most need and themselves also of watchfullnesse they fell into drowsinesse and so fell into Temptation that they all left Christ and Peter especially Simon sleepest thou whom Sathan desires to winnow For thee now to Sleep is a Lust of the Flesh Let us therefore so look at Sleep and Ease as that we must give account of It s a common fault of Gentlemen that live of their own Means they may Live at Ease and rest they think what is a Gentleman but his Ease and Pleasure God forbid that we should be like that Fool in the Gospel Soul take thine Ease thou hast Goods laid up for many years you must not think that God hath given great means and estate to live at ease the glorious Angells are ministring Spirits doing their duties with all agility and chearfullnesse Adam who was Lord of the world yet was set to till the ground from the highest creature to the lowest all have employments appointed them by God Dangers of Idlenesse 1 It will bring you to poverty that you shall be suddenly Beggars and that without remedy 2 It distempers your Bodies and Stomachs 3 It will make your Souls naked and ragged that is plain the field of the sluggard is over-grown with Thorns and Thistles all your impatience vanity idlenesse all your dullnesse unprofitablenesse in your life it springs from your sluggishnesse of heart you have not stirred up your spirits 4 It will make you a Brother to a great waster you waste your outward patrimony and your patrimony of Grace when Peter was once fallen into drowsinesse how wofully was he bankrout how poor and naked Simon sleepest thou and we see Temptation came on him suddenly and strongly 5 Such as do their businesse with a slack unbent hand cursed be that man if you see a sluggish hand God leaves him to himself he curses both himselfe and his businesse therefore be diligent and fruitful and strengthen your selves you shall finde the blessing of God going along with you prospering your estates and Souls Thus we see what are the Lusts of the flesh they are such as the body affects and is satisfied with as intemperancy incontinency love of pastime and love of idlenesse and sleep these are the lusts of the flesh Now for the Reasons why we should wean our selves from these Lusts which may be as so many motives to disswade us from them Rea. 1 All these Lusts are so many Enemies to our Souls 1 Pet. 3.11 they are the diseases of our Spirits now if we satisfie any disease in our body wee feed the disease and make it worse So wee cannot satisfie any of these Lusts but the more we feed them the stronger they grow They are like the Dropsie the more you drink the more you may so satisfying encreases the disease the more you obey a Tyrant and submit your selves to him the more authority he claims over you and the more will be Lord it over you so if you once give up your selves to obey these lusts and let them reign they will Lord it over you and keep you in greater subjection Rom. 6.12 so that when a man pleads for his Lust but this once that I may fullfill my Lust and I hope I shall never do it again but I will bid farewell to it if I now take leave to go into evil Company for one merry meeting I shall hereafter deal with them no more why take this course against a Lust do but once give way to any Lust and instead of satisfying it you will adde fuell to it this will be a way to ingage you to a further commission of that lust many have a conceit may I but now tipple with a customer and get a good bargain I will give it over why give but once way to a lust and it will make such a gap that all the lusts in the Forrest may break in make but one little crevise in the bank of the Sea thinking to abate the rage of the Sea why it will make it wider and overflow all so if you give but a little way to a lust to a little Gluttony or Intemperancy you will never give over modo modo non habent modum the more fuel you give the stronger the fire of lust burns Reas 2 The heavy distempers that bodily lusts put upon the soul of man they do aggravate the diseases that Christians most complain of it is the common complaint of Christians oh the deadnesse and dullnesse and hardnesse and coldnesse of my heart and spirit oh that I could but get a soft heart why the lust of the flesh so overcharges our hearts and makes them so heavy that we have no desire to good Luk. 21.34 take heed that your hearts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you shall find that whereas our spirits have been enlarged and comforted in Gods ordinances and in his service it is strange how little affection or comfort we find in these if our hearts be overcharged with Intemperancie or Wantonnesse or Voluptuousnesse or Idlenesse it is like lead at a Birds heels what we feed on we grow into the nature of it let a man feed on earthly things he grows earthly and unsavoury so if a Christian gives way to any sensuality he shall find his spirit grow so sensual and worldly that it is made very unfit for spiritual things Reas 3 From the end of these lusts if we affect any pleasure of the World for it self it is a lust of the flesh to cleave to the Creatures now we shall find that none of these lusts commend us to God neither meat nor drink nor pastime nor sleep if we affect any thing for it self it never commends us to God or makes us draw near to him though we had all these pleasures in the largest measure as Paul saith of them 1 Cor. 8.8 now if these draw us not to God but many a poor soul that wants these hath far more fellowship with God than such as enjoy abundance thereof why then a Christian should thus reason am not I a whit the nearer God for these why then should my heart affect them 4 Nay as they do not commend us to God so 1 Cor. 6.13 Meat for the belly and the belly for meat they are all corruptible both the chear we affect and our bellies both corruptible therefore let us set our minds on eternal incorruptible things Vse May dehort both old and young from affecting the lusts of the World you see from the Father they are not but from the World and the means to help us against these lusts are 1 Abstain from fleshly lusts as Peter speaks Rom. 13.14 make no provision for the flesh take heed of all occasions I have made a Covenant with mine eyes saith Job not
commit Adultery and slay Uriah and after that to number the people Ans He may erre through infirmity as a man in a Journey he propounds no other end but to goe on but yet he goes out of the way sometimes through ignorance and carelesnesse but then when he knows it he makes the more hast to get in again so a Christian he aims at a good course even wayes but sometimes through heedlesness or ignorance he falls into by wayes but when he knows it he makes hast to recover himselfe and the cause why he goes aside is because he doth not the Will of God but his own will Vse 1 Justifie the Doctrine of the perseverance of the Saints and confutes the contrary opinion of their Apostacy for every Christian doth the Will of God now he that doth the Will of God abides for ever such make Gods Will their meat and drink and so they lead an everlasting life they feed on everlasting food Joh. 6.26 they have neer union with Christ they are such as fulfill Gods Will and therefore he will fulfil their desire Vse 2. A ground of direction to all such as would find comfort in Life and Death if you follow the lusts of the World they will not last alwayes Conscience accuseth God will judge you Eccles 11.9 Rejoyce O young man in thy youth c. so Riches endure not always nor Honour therefore though a man now pride himselfe in his youth or riches or lusts why these will not hold time will come when you shall be weary of all these but would you abide for ever why this is the way doe Gods will and then thou chusest that part which shall never be taken from thee Luke 10. two last verses Psal 125.1 2. let a man be doing Gods Will he shall never dye there is no man but would have his Estate confirmed to perpetuity from age to age why all the lusts of the World continue but for a while but would you turne all to perpetuity be doing Gods Will and then you shall abide for ever so would you heal all the fleeting unstablenesse of our spirits sometimes you are much inlarged sometimes as much straitned sometimes you have vigour of Spirit and sometimes you are dull and quite out of frame what is the reason all this is because thou art out of the way and therefore the Star hath left thee as it did the Wise men when they went out of the way to Bethlehem to goe to Jerusalem even so when thou art in the way to Bethlehem to seek Châ—ist and give up thy selfe to such courses as leads to him why all this while the comfortable power of the Spirit shall goe with thee but when thou consultest with flesh and blood to satisfie any lust of the World the Star will leave thee till thou come into the way again so if you walke in the even wayes of God you shall find your selves always enlarged though sometimes more sometimes less yet alwayes so much as is sufficient for your present condition Vse 3 Of consolation to every obedient Christian that breaks off from his own will and sets himself with all his power to doe Gods Will and is grieved when he doth any thing against it why this is your comfort that is an everlasting way which leads to eternity He that doth the Will of God shall never see Death that is with fear or danger nay he shall stand as a Mountaine that shall not be shaken which is a great blessing for a poor Christian Obj. May not mountains be shaken and removed are they not shaken by Earthquakes so may not Christians be shaken and removed are they not tossed up and down in the World and never in a setled condition Ans Mountains may be shaken and removed Isa 54.10.11 and Christians may be tossed in their outward Estate but yet though Mountains remove and hills be shaken yet Gods loving kindnesse shall never depart from them Now from the scope the Apostle aims at observe thus much Doct. The disproportion that is betwixt the World and the lusts thereof and the Children of God that doe his Will ought to weane them all from the love of the World and the lusts thereof John 6.27 Labour not for the meat that perisheth as who should say this meat is corruptible and you corruptible but that meat I give you is eternall and will nourish eternall life in you Quest Wherein stands the disproportion between the World and the lusts thereof and those that doe Gods Will 1 The World and the lusts thereof are transitory and fading neither continue at a stay nor last long but all perish But he that doth Gods Will the more he doth it the more he is strengthned and confirmed and supported to everlasting life 2 The World it selfe and all the things thereof are ordinarily bodily and sensuall and not heavenly take all the frame of the Creatures they are bodily things and all the comforts of them tends to sensuall life What will it profit a man to win the whole World and loose his own soul implying a man may have all the World and yet loose his own soul it never feeds a spirituall heavenly life but there is a spirituall eternall bread that feeds to everlasting life it is not for a body to nourish a spirit nor earthly things heavenly not can a transitory thing feed everlasting life Q. 1. Why should this disproportion wean us from the love of the World and the lusts thereof what is the ground 1 From the vanity that is found in all these things they are bodily and transitory it is impossible they should nourish heavenly and permanent life therefore godly men should withdraw their affections from them inordinately Isa 55.2 why doe you lay out your money for that which satisfieth not and for that which is not bread why doe you spend cost and pains about that which is not bread which will never satisfie your souls but your souls in the midst of them may be as Pharaohs lean Kine hungry and empty of grace void of good things Reas 2. From the corruption these things will put upon our spirits if we set our love and lust on them it will be as a running Issue which will empty us of all goodnesse either they will draw us from comming to the Ordinances I have married a wife and cannot come or secondly they will fill our hearts with cares when we come Ezek. 33. ult or else after we are gone they will choak the Word of God so that they draw away our hearts from spirituall food 2 There is a power in them to assimilate us to themselves what we feed on we are like unto feed on wild meats you will be wild men feed on grosse meats your spirits will be more grosse and dull feed on light meats your spirits will be more quick and agill so if a man feed on the World glut himself with the World he can relish nothing but the
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa 48.17 and if God undertake to teach us to profit he is able to do more than any other teachers they may teach but they cannot give a dullard wit but God can open our understandlngs and enlarge our hearts with wisdom so that he will clear the object the Medium and the faculty Psal 119.13 I have more understanding then my teachers so vers 97. Vse 1 A ground of singular comfort to any poor Christian that whatsoever is needfull for him expedient for him he hath a teacher every poor Christian hath a Counsellor within him that teacheth him all things and this is better than the Vrim and Thummim and Ephod to counsell at we have an unction which is worth all we have an oracle in our breasts which if we would but rub up would reveal all things to us 2 Here is ground of tryall to all art thou a true Child of God thou mayest know it by thy knowledge dost thou find thy heart prepared to receive Christs voyce and dost thou discern of things that differ and dost thou still think thou knowest nothing is thy knowledge clear particular and effectuall doth God give thee knowledge according to thy calling and present imployment why then certainly thou art a Child of God and hast received an unction from the holy one but if it be contrary with thee thou canst not be assured that thou hast received an unction from the spirit and so the least in Gods Kingdome is greater and hath received more knowledge than thou Vse 3 May teach every Child of God what course to take to get knowledge and use it and increase it if you want knowledge give up thy heart to God labour for that spirituall eye salve that may inlighten thine eyes one dayes teaching in Christs School is able to teach thee more than thou canst learn all thy life time from other teachers if you neglect this though you should spend much time in Schooles and Universities you shall not find so much as the poorest Christian can teach you And for you that have received this unction make use of it it is not for you to hide and smother this light it is for you to consult at this oracle and take heed by all means that you grieve not this spirit by any vanity or sin you cleave unto for then you shall find this oyntment very much straitned and you shall be put to great straights therefore keep your hearts empty and humble hungring after the wayes of God and gladly receive his motions he will be ready to fill empty Vessells and to guide an humble soul in his wayes Lead me O Lord in thy wayes saith David he speaks as a blind man that wants some body to lead him such souls are sensible of their own blindnesse and depend upon God and are ready to walk according to the counsell he gives the Lord will be ready to reveal all things to them necessary and expedient and yet think you stil have need of help but yet take heed of trusting to any motion but what comes from the spirit Vse 4 Here we see of what use it is to consult with Christians in cases of difference 1 Cor 6 1. to 6. for the weakest Christian is more able to discern than the greatest heathenish Phylosophers or Counsellors God doth provide that there shall be some differences in the judgements of his Children but in the main they shall hold no error hurtfull therefore let us search more into this oyntment and labour for it more than ever we never had more need of knowledge than in these dayes and our Children will have more therefore let us labour to establish them and our selves in the truth 1 JOHN 2.21 I have not written unto you because you know not the truth but because yee know it and that no lye is of the truth THese words are an answer to an objection that might arise from the former verse why might they say if we know all things what need you write to us concerning such and such things or thus if we know all things what need you write to us if we know not how can we be said to know all things to this he answers in this vers I write unto you not because you know not the truth c wherein we have the cause of his writing 1 The Negative not for their Ignorance 2 The Positive cause because ye do know and because veruw est Index sui obliqui therefore ye know likewise what is not of the truth that no lye is of the truth Doct. The Apostles writings were rather directed to such as know the truth then such as know not the truth Or thus It is not the ignorance of the truth but rather the knowledge of it that occasioned the Apostles writings Observe all the Apostles writings they were never written to any Country or Town or person that did not know the truth before but they were already brought on to the knowledge of the truth Rom. 15.14 so the Corinths he speaks to them as to a Church of God 1 Cor. 1.1.2 8 9. so Gal. 2 3 4. and chap. 3. so Ephes 4.21 Phil. 1.6 Col. 1.12 13. so the Thessalonians he blessed God for their election 1 Thes 1.9 so Timothy and Titus he writes to them as to his naturall sons in Christ Heb. 6.9.10 11. so the Apostle James chap. 1.2 3. so 1 Pet. 1.2 3 4. so this Apostle St. John I write unto you because you know the truth 2 Epist 1. and third Epistle 2.3 so the Epistles Christ wrote to the seven Churches of Asia he wrote to them as such as knew the truth of Christ and profest his name so that this is an universall truth that not the Ignorance of the truth but the knowledge hath occasioned the Apostles writings Reas 1. From God who hath not sanctified their writings to this end to the conversion of the Gentiles but to their establishment the Apostle here speaks of them that knew the main truth though they were Ignorant of many particular truths if men be converted to the truth and brought to prize Christ and walk in obedience there may be great use of the Apostles writings to establish them in the truth we never reade that they wrote to any Kingdomes where themselves had not been or sent they wrote not to Persia or Spaine or France but to such places as they had been at and if God had sanctified their writings to the conversion of the Gentiles it had been more fit to write to such places where they were not likely to come rather than such places as they came at 1 Cor. 1.2 but we see that God hath so ordered it that men should be called by the foolishnesse of preaching Rom. 10 13 â—4 15 and not of writing it is not his writing to them but he must be sent to them so that the work of conversion is wrought by the preaching of the Gospel Reas 2. From the
at all to help them on you are mercilesse Parents and Masters that do not labour to bring them on to the riches of knowledge for without this they shall finde no mercy nor favour from God Vse 2 It may serve for a signe of trial of our knowledge whether we have received the Unction of the Holy one if you know the truth in a right manner then you have partaken of the Unction of the Holy one this differs from all other knowledge For the cause of it it is from God Isa 54.4 the means of getting it is to attend diligently to the Word private conference may bring on men to understanding of the truth nay where other means fail it may bring them to the knowledge of faith Joh. 4.42 when we come to publique Ordinances we arise to higher and full understanding and riches of full assurance they perceived Christ so speaking to their Souls that they believed on him now by experience First Therefore listen to private Christians but frequent the Ordinances whereby you shall grow up to fulnesse of knowledge The Second Means is frequency in prayer Prov. 2.13 14. Thirdly Obedience is the way to get knowledge If any man do my Fathers Will he shall know the truth if you pray to God and come to the Word with a desire to do what you hear and resolve that what the Lord speaks you will hear and do it and not only such resolution as is extorted by some Thunder-shakings as the Jews Exod. 20. but when you have a setled resolution to obey what you know to be Gods Will God will increase your knowledge 2 This knowledge differs from other knowledge in the effects for this knowledge humbles men Prov. 30.2 3. and this knowledge works faith Psal 10.9 They that know thy name will trust in thee and obedience Col. 1.5 6. that knowledge which brings not forth obedience is no true knowledge none but this kinde of knowledge brings forth sincere obedience 1 JOHN 2.21 Because ye know the truth and that no lye is of the truth THese words afford us Three Doctrins 1 That every Antichristian Doctrin is a Lye for of that hee speaks 2 That no Lye that is no Antichristian Doctrin is of the truth that is flows from the truth of the Gospel 3 Such as have received the spiritual Unction and do know the truth they also know that no Lye is of the truth For the first Doct. Every Antichristian Doctrin is a Lye Q. What is a Lye in Doctrin for that is the lye that is here meant A. Three things make up a Lye 1 That the Proposition do not agree with the thing we speak of 2 That it agree not with the Notion that we have in our mindes 3 That we speak it a purpose to deceive all these are found in every Antichristian Doctrin 1 These enunciations do not agree with the word of truth for else they could not be a lye the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shews they agree not with the truth of Christ 2 These Doctrins are contrary to the Judgements of them that deliver them and this may appear from the definition of an Heretick Tit. 3.10 11 an Heretick is one that is subverted in his errour and is condemned of him selfe Heresie therefore is all subversion by errour and maintaining of the same with obstinacy a man may be an erroneous man but he doth not come to be an Heretick till he be condemned in himselfe that is speak contrary to his judgement which may appear when rather then he will depart from his errour he will contradict himself as when he is convinced he falls to wranglings or blaspheming these are signs of such as speak contrary to their own judgements 3 They deliver them with a purpose to deceive Ephes 4.14 They lye in wait to deceive they plot how to deceive the consciences of men and this kinde of Heresie is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Cheating every way or they are as Coggers of Dice so that their trade is but to deceive and cheat men so that we see there is a Three-fold Lye in every Antichristian Doctrin 1 It is materially a Lye the Doctrin it self is contrary to the truth 2 It is a Lie formally they speak against their judgement 3 It is efficiently a Lye they breed lies in others 1 Tim. 4.1 2. Q What is the reason why every Antichristian Teacher is a Lie and his Doctrin a Lie A Because it springs from a lying spirit not from a Spirit of truth but of lyes so the Devill describes himself when he seduceth false Prophets 1 King 22.22 to be a Lying spirit as if there were no more effectual way to seduce Kings than by false Teachers acted by the Lying Spirit I will put errour in their hearts and make them obstinate in it and unanimous in it so that four hundred false Prophets shall easily out-bear one Micaiah the like doth the Devill in all false Teachers he cometh and is a Lying Spirit in them with such seemlinesse and shew of truth that it deceives them they take it for truth 2 Thes 2.6 they shall come with deceitfulnesse of Doctrin and many false lying wonders whereby they shall seduce many Rea. 2. From the corrupt end that these false Teachers do evidently aim at in all their Doctrin Acts 20.30 some do it in ambition to draw Disciples to themselves and not to Christ such was Simon Magus that gave out that he was the Christ that suffered and so drew many after him after him Menander 2 Some aimed to fill their bellies and to get gain and pleasure from their followers Rom. 16. whose belly is their God so that they serve not Christ but their own bellies and for that end with fair flattering speeches they beguile for filthy lucre Tit. 1.11 12. so that all the lust of the world they aime at ambition sensuality and filthy gain are the ends they aime at and if their ends be so corrupt their Doctrin must needs be corrupt and a lye Reas 3 From the sport and jeast they make at deluding people one would thinke there should none be so desperatly wicked to come into congregations and obtrude false Doctrin and delude men and then make a sport of it 2 Pet. 2.13 it sports them to see how handsomely they circumvented such a man at such a conference this is matter of sport to them to see how at feasts and meetings they could carry the whole Table before them Gal. 6.12 13. what is their end they desire to make a fair shew in the flesh and they glory in it and triumph and they themselves regard not many things that they obtrude on others they make no scruple of it themselves they know they are empty things so that this is manifestly a lye Vse 1 May teach us how to conceive of Popery and stir up in our selves an holy indignation against it you see that Popery is a lye and hath deluded many
distempers that shee knows thereby shee is with Child so they that have had the breeding of the Spirit in their hearts and have perceived his motions they know more clearly than any other verse 20. Yee know all things it is a scientificall Instruction about certain experimentall things they know the danger of sin the sweetnesse of Grace 4 The Spirit teacheth us most profitably for that is the dexterity of the Spirit that it tells you what use you are to make of such a Scripture such a Sermon such a Providence such an Affliction I am the holy one of Israel that teacheth you to profit Isa 48.17 let the Minister speak never so powerfully and plainly yet the heart of man cannot discern it and profit by it unlesse the Spirit strike in with it we shall do little good Vse 1 May descover the vanity of the Popish Doctrin that would not have men trust their own spirit but follow the judgement of the Church this is a poor Instruction what if the Spirit of the Church become Apostaticall what is become of all the famous Churches of Asia and Grecia have not they warped from the truth therefore if men should follow the Spirit of the Church they might fall from the truth but you see how St. John magnifies the Instruction of the Spieit you need not that any one teach you otherwise than the Spirit within you witnesses Obj. May not a mans Spirit be a delusion must we trust every private spirit A Though it be in a private man yet it is not a private Spirit but the same Spirt common to the whole body of Christ his Spirit is not limitted to publick persons or Ministers but to all generally that are the Members of Christ so that we do not maintain it to be a private spirit though in a private man for it is a publick spirit the Spirit breaths where it lists and where-ever it breaths none need teach more or better Vse 2 If Gods Spirit be so sufficient then let us make use of the Spirit to discern falshood and to know the truth not to rest in what Ministers or Parents or Masters teach but what the Spirit teacheth that follow one dayes Instruction of the Spirit will lead you into more knowledge than a hundred Sermons Vse 3 Look that you keep the Spirit in good order if you grieve the Spirit he hath no comfort to teach you as Parents or Masters take no delight to teach their Childreen or Servants when they take no heed to what they teach them but if the Spirit see you be willing to hear and listen and reach after what he reveals the Spirit teacheth us with delight but if you grieve Gods Spirit by sensuall lusts the Spirit is so discouraged that you shall find his Instruction very thinne and weak if Gods Spirit see you doe not intend to make use of what he teacheth he will have little delight to teach you Vse 4 Reproves such as content themselves in Ignorance by saying they are not book-learned and therefore there is not much expected from them why if you give up your spirits to Gods his Spirit will teach you all things he will teach you without book as much as shall be needfull for you Vse 5. Of consolation to Gods Servants that have alwayes a Teacher within them they carry a Prophet about them a Minister about them every man desires to have the best Teacher for his Child you cannot put your Child to a better Teacher than the holy Spirit Isa 54.14 John 6.45 your children shall be taught of me therefore pray to God to teach you and to counsell you he will give you that counsell and direction none can give Vide plura verse 20. Doct. 5. The Spirit of God in the hearts of his servants is not a spirit of delusion but of truth They might say every man will boast of his own spirit we know there are many lying spirits abroad how shall I know that I have the true Spirit why he saith it is not a lying but true Spirit so our Saviour calls it a Spirt of Truth John 16.13 John 14.16 17. and it is a sure Spirit 1 Because it makes us true men whereas by nature we are full of falshood and lyes Ron. 3.4 2 It reveales the Truth of God in a true manner it teacheth such things as agree with the Scripture the word of truth 3 It is given by the God of Truth therefore must needs be true 4 Because it teacheth nothing but what it receives from Christ and Christ teacheth nothing but what comes from the Father the God of Truth Joh 12.49 50. therefore must needs be true Q. But how shall I know that my spirit is not a spirit of Error and delusion but of truth 1 Kings 22.22 23 24. when went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak to thee yet there was a lying spirit amongst them we see here was a lying spirit in four hundred Prophets and he cunningly conveyes himselfe like an Angel of Light how shall a Child of God discern the true Spirit from a Spirit of delusion A. They that have received a Spirit of Error may be deluded by a Spirit of Error but they that have received the Spirit of Truth cannot be deluded by a Spirit of Error But how shall I know that I am not deluded and that my Spirit is a Spirit of Truth 1. By the Testimony of this Spirit there is such a clear light in the Spirit that he will reveal himselfe plainly enough 1 John 5.3 The Spirit bears witnesse that the Spirit is Truth 2. You shall finde the Spirit of God is ever suitable to the Word of God that Spirit that teacheth you other things than the Word or withdraws you from the Word that Spirit is a delusion the Word begat us and a Christian loves to be sucking at it 3. It is a Spirit of Truth if it make you conformable to Christ meek and lowly as Christ was patient and going about doing good as he did where ever we come that is the proper work of the Spirit to make us holy as he is holy meek as he is meek pure as he is pure 4. We may discern the Spirit by his fruits a tree is known by the fruit good fruit comes not from a corrupt spirit take any corrupt spirit it so confounds and troubles the spirits of men that they cannot bring forth good fruits but the holy Spirit is so meek and plain that it doth not disturb nature but perfect it but a bad spirit doth not perfect but corrupt nature Gal. 5.22 But the fruits of the Spirit are Faith and love and meeknesse it is a sign an evill Spirit was upon Zedekiah 1 Kings 22. because he was so boysterous and rude and impatient he struck Micaiah on the face but Gods Spirit is meek and humble and lowly Vse 1. May teach us to see the excellency of a Christian above other wicked men Prov. 12.10 the way
also between morall and spirituall between things of God and Satan and the World The second manifestation of this difference is the inclination of the end of the one and of the other By their fruits ye shall know them Mat. 7.20 Gal. 5.19 Obj. Cannot an hypocrite passe so as that he cannot be discerned What say you of Judas he was not discerned of a long time Mat. 26.22 for every of the Disciples began to suspect themselves 2 Cor. 1.13 14 15 16. Again Gods people carry things so weakly and the pulse of Gods grace beats so weakly as if no life and strength were in them 1 Kings 19.17 18. Psalm 12.1 Answ Sometimes hypocrisie is spun with so fine a thread and it is so well dyed as that you can hardly discern any difference And sometimes grace is so low in the heart as that you cannot discern it This is true but it is but for a time Judas at length was plainly known to have been but a theef 2 Tim. 3.8 9. Jannes and Jambres can do miracles as well as Moses and Aaron but in time they shall be discerned 1 Tim. 5.22 45. Lay hands suddenly on no man for if he prove not pure thou shalt be pertaker of his sins and all the hurt he doth Some mens sins lye open before hand i. e. before the judgement of the Church others follow after they cannot be hid God will have them made manifest in due time Luke 12.2 There is nothing so secret but it will be discovered If you put leaven into five pecks of meal it will not alwayes lye hidden but in time break forth Vse 1. An argument of just reproof to good men and bad If after a while we know not our selves 2 Cor. 13.5 As if it were a dangerous sign of a mans separation from God if after so long a time of the Apostles preaching they knew not what was in them 2. This reproves the Popish Doctors that say no man can discern his owne estate They alledge that place Eccl. 9.1 2. A man cannot know by outward things whether he be in Gods favour or not If a man come in a sheep-skin I shall take him to be a sheep Mat. 7.16 to 20. 3. To teach every one to take heed of a devillish spirit or any unrighteous course of life for though a man may hide it long yet at length it will be known It is as impossible that a mans want of love should not be known as for a man to keep fire in his bosome and it not to break out Psalm 36 2 3 4. 4. Of exhortation to all that are born of God not alwayes to smoother grace God will have your grace manifest and that to edifie withall 2 Cor. 12.7 Do not content your selves with close and houshold Christianity but manifest of what spirit you are It was commendable in Elizabeth to hide her selfe six moneths Luke 2.6 When she was stirring with childe then she visited her Cousen Mary So if God have wrought any conception of grace in our hearts it doth well to be concealed a while lest like the stony ground in time of persecution it should fall away When thou art sure there is a manifest work of Gods Spirit in thy heart then manifest thy selfe Doct. Not onely commission of sin but negligence of a Christian course of life is a manifest signe not of a child of God but a child of the Devil Mat. 3.10 Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire Psalm 36.1 3 4. There is no fear of God before their eyes How shall this appear to David He hath left off to do good he doth not shun evill but if an evill matter comes in his way he sets himselfe to work it Psal 116.12 He doth not study as David did What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits He that sets not himselfe in a good course is not the childe of God but of the Devil Reas 1. His wayes bear the image of Satan he was set in a good estate but he ceased to do good and set himselfe in a course now not good 2. From the necessary fruitfulnesse of the seed of God wheresoever it is Psalm 1.2 3. A childe of God is working in his minde and heart and alwayes doing good 3. From the hinderance which such put upon others that would do be â—r if such were removed Acts 13.10 The Devill is alwayes an impediment of good Luke 13.7 8 9. A man if he can do good and do not he cumbers the ground therefore cut him down Vse 1. To reprove the ignorance of such people that conceive if they do no body any harm they hope God will accept them but if it go badly with them what will become of whoremongers and adulterers c. Can you say you have devised good and watched your opportunity to be doing good This is a comfort to you But do not comfort your selves meerly in your innocency from evill without doing good 2. To teach us all as ever we desire an evident mark to our selves that we are children of God to turn Poets of righteousnesse it is the seed oâ— God that sets you a work God requires that we should be doing good with our estates that when we go hence we may say as John 17.3 4. Father I have finished the work that thou hast given me to doe 2 Kings 20.31 2 Chron. Rehoboam did evil in the sight of the Lord because he prepared not his heart he studyed not to do good Neither he that loveth not his Brother Doct. Not onely the hatred of our Brother but the want of love to our Brethren is a signe not of a childe of God but of the devill John 13.35 1 Kings 18.17 18 Reas 1. From the constant practise of God Is there any one of them which he hath adopted whom he loves not Mat. 10. ult And observe the contrary practice of Satan there is no childe of God but he is estranged from and sits loose from 2. From the want of knowledge of God 1 John 4.8 He knows not c. Here is a double reason 1. He hath not experience of Gods love 2. God is love When the Sun shines upon a stone wall though it be cold yet it reflects the heat back again upon every person So there is none that hath felt the warmth of Gods love upon his soul but though his heart were cold before yet he reflects it upon all 2. God is love It is a property inseparable from the nature of God he loveâ— to communicate good 3. From the like condition of all Brethren He that loves not his Brother because he is a Brother he loves none at all He that loves not one of a mans children because he is born of such a man loves none of them A man may hate a Brother for some sinister respect as Joseph's Brethren it was a certain signe they were not born of God though afterward they
gives a reason of this above all there is no surer argument then this A Christian may reason thus If I that have but a little sparke of grace can forgive injuries how shall not the Ocean of love much more forgive me Mat. 18. ult God will never have us to think that if we cannot forgive one injury he will forgive us a thousand Yet a man is not alwayes bound to expresse his forgivenesse unlesse a man come and say it repents him yet from his heart he must doe it Vse 1. Shewes the dangerous and fearfull estate of a man that dares live in envy and malice against his brethren A man thinks he hath cause he will not receive the Sacrament nor suffer them What a poor thing is this Thou hast not thy sins forgiven thou lovest not God nor any Christian soul in obedience to God A Christian dares not allow himselfe in hatred of any Brother but looks at it as an enemy to his soul 2. It exhorts every Christian to enlarge the bowels of his affection to every Brother Psal 119.63 I am a companion to all them that fear thee He doth not pick and choose Psal 66.16 Gal. 6.10 If to all men then especially to the houshold of faith 3. It is a ground of thankfullnesse to God that hath taken care for weakest Christians for want of love to such God will either discharge a man for an hypocrite or else his own corruption shall take him by the throat and make him beleeve that many sins are not forgiven and that he shall hardly get pardon of sins 1 JOHN 3.15 Whosoever hateth his Brother is a murtherer and ye know that no murtherer hath eternall life abiding in him THe Apostle having said in the former verse that he that loveth not his Brother abideth in death he proves it by a Syllogisme taken from a Murtherer Doct. He that hates his Brother is a Murtherer As he that looks upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery so he that hates his brother is a murtherer Reas 1 From the wrapping up and infolding this in the heart as the seed of a tree in the root though it breake not forth So sin hah its seed in the heart Mat. 15.19 No murther could spring from the heart if it were not there A fountaine could not flow over unlesse water were in it Prov. 4.23 2 From the foul murther hatred commits to give offence is a destroying of our Brother now who hates his Brother makes no scruple of giving offence Rom. 14.15 1 Cor. 8.11 3 It is a foul murther in regard of withdrawing many good offices A man shall be unwilling to doe any good office either for soul or body Ill will never speakes nor doth well Vse 1 Teacheth us the spiritualnesse of the Word of God It doth transcend the words of men they never reach farther then speeches and actions they make no Lawes for the hearts of men But the Word of God hath special regard to the heart 1 Sam. 16.7 As it is with wise parents they look not only to the guidance of their childrens speeches but that their countenance and carriage be well framed Gen. 4.6 So soon as God saw hatred in Cains heart and expressing it selfe in his countenance he reproves him for it he will not have so much as a wrinkle in the face 2 Hence we may see a just ground of Divines referring all sins and virtues to the ten Commandements Mat. 5.21 22. Before God unadvised anger is killing so of adultery verse 28. 3 See the wisdome of God in putting such foule names upon the beginnings of sin to make us afraid He that hateth his Brother is a Murtherer As if a Father should say Doe not hate your Brother you will be a murtherer He puts bad words upon the seeds of sin 4 This should be a means to cleanse us from all hatred of our Brother look at it as an ugly and loathsome vice If there be a spirit of envy in thy heart what though thou lift not up thy hand against thy Brother this is murther Doct. That it is a known truth amongst Gods children every murtherer is devoyd of eternall life Rev. 21.8 Reas 1 Because of the injury done to Gods image If a man deface the image of a Prince it deserves death then the defacing of Gods image much more eternall death Gen. 9.6 2 From the seed of all murtherers vers 12. he makes every murtherer to be of the posterity of Cain John 8.44 Now because a man kills his brother out of the seed of the Serpent a devillish and malignant spirit therefore he hath not eternal life abiding in him Vse 1 See the danger of such who in their drinkings quarrell even to murther Obj. If there be no possibility that a murtherer should be saved what say you to David and others in their carnall estate Answ David did indeed kill and God follows him with judgments and afflictions 2 Sam. 12.8 9 10. but yet upon repentance God forgave him his sin And as for such as have murthered in their carnal estate if God give them hearts to be humbled then the blood of Christ is of a lowder cry then the blood of Abel Heb. 12.24 Saint John speaks not of every murtherer for some doe it against their judgments and hearts but others if they repent not have not eternal life 1 Cor. 6.8 9. 2. To stir up every christian man that hath his hands in blood to have recourse to the blood of the covenant for the pardon of their sins and healing of them The sin on Levi held him longest under to bring him to repentance Gen. 49.7.28 Jacob blessed him in a curse God preserves us with curses that may put us in minde of our sins and makes us walk sensibly of them therefore renew we our mournings for our hatred 3 In respect of challenges let us take heed we take them not and that we stop them in the beginning It is not fit that fire should burn out of its place 4 Such as love their Brethren are not only not abiding in death but have everlasting life already abiding in them If you see any hatred spring in thee thou art taken with a dead Palsie You cannot bring out a good word or good countenance so much hatred so much death so much want of love so much want of life 1 JOHN 3.16 Hereby perceive we the Love of God because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the Brethren THese words are part of the exhortation St. John useth to all christians to love one another He useth many arguments vers 14. He tells us It is a sign we are translated from death to life 2. From the danger of the hatred of our Brother 3 From the exemplary and strong love of Christ 4 From the emptinesse of such hearts of grace when there is no love of their Brethren These words are a notable motive to christians
had loved us because we first loved him 2 In Scripture account that which comes after is not the cause of that which went before therefore our love coming after cannot be the cause of Gods love going before To Abraham and his seed were the promises made not by works or obedience to the Law for the Law was given four hundred years after Gal. 3.17 and therefore God had not respect to it as the Apostle argues So that which we have done four thousand years after the world was made cannot be the cause of Gods love before the world was Rom. 9.12 13 14. If the Apostle there had not excluded foreseen works his arguing had been of no effect for he speaks not onely of what was then but hee considered nothing that might be afterwards as the cause of his love Vse 1. To refute those that make Gods love to us depend upon our love to him they expresly blot out this Scripture to say that any one is beloved of God for his fore-seen faith is to say that God loved us because we first loved him which is expresly contrary to this Text so that if we enquire the cause of Gods love to us we must seek it in God not in our selves for he loved us because he loved us Vse 2. May teach us to love God betimes for you can never begin too soon but he hath prevented you you can never begin so early but he hath been up before you what a shame is it for men to deferre this till 30. 40. 50. yeares till their old age God was up betimes to manifest his love to you and will not you begin to love God till you are going out of the world Vse 3. To such as have already given their love to God let them learn to maintain their love and increase it a man is wont to make much of an old friend Thine own friend and thy Fathers friend forsake not Prov. 27.10 Why God is the ancientest that ever thou hadst he loved thee before thou wert before thou knewest what the world was or what love was therefore love him again Vse 4. Of consolation to such as have experience of Gods love towards them if God loved us before we loved him when we were strangers and enemies then surely he will not cast us off for our infirmities in our after loves it may be we may be loose and sinful but God loved us at first not for our goodnesse neither will he cast us off afterward for our wickednesse Yet this is no encouragement to licentiousnesse for God knows how to put us to anguishes and straights and crosses and yet reserve everlasting life for us There is never a servant of God but had he cast him off for his failings he had never been saved none but have failed in many things and abused Gods grace but God knows how to heal such distempers and yet reserve his mercy to us if he began to love us before we loved him then as he was first in love so he will be last Vse 5. May teach us to be free in our love to God and our brethren Mat. 10.8 Freely ye have received freely give God loved us when we loved not him So though men prevent you not with love yet prevent you them and if they provoke you be fast in your love be like God in your love begin first and continue last and so come off freely in your love to God be content to part with all for him for when shall we be able to give more to God then he hath given us If you ask In quo consistit efficacia gratiae What makes grace effectual to any soul the answer is the love of God to us Doct. 2. The preventing love of God to us is the effectual cause of our love to God The love he here speaks of is such a love as casts out feare of judgement and therefore must needs be a securing love 1. Objectivè By setting us a pattern of love but that 's not all for all have read and heard of the great love of God to us 2 Physicè by working something in us which makes us to love him Jer. 31.3 With loving kindnesse have I drawn thee and this is not onely a moral drawing by propounding some suitable object as an horse is drawn by a lock of Hay for that 's a leading rather then a drawing but Gods drawing us is not onely by propounding fit arguments but by a physical or rather hyper physical work of his Spirit he makes us of unwilling to be willing to follow him objects do not give us a new heart but God is said to give us a new heart Ezek. 36.26 this he works 1 By striking us with shame and horrour for our sins so that we are brought heartily to grieve for them and when he hath drawn us to the suburbs of hell then he shews us the glad tidings of salvation and withal gives us a believing heart to long after them to embrace them and to assure our selves of them Reas 1. From the efficacy of Gods gracious work there is no work of God in us but it works in our hearts the like suitable work If God choose us for himself then we choose him for our God we choose him his Word and favour and promises above all treasure Gods election of us stamps on us an election of him Hath God purchased us at a dear rate then we learn to purchase Christ at a dear rate though with the losse of all we have Doth God call any of us to be his sons then we learn to call him Father Hos 2.1 to 3. In what wayes he walks towards us we begin to walk towards him but ever God begins first Psal 27.8 When God saith to a soul Seek my face then it answers Thy face O Lord will I seek If God go on in a constant course of helpfulnesse by his Spirit to us then we go on in a constant frame of grace towards him Jer. 32.40 I will not turn away from them and then he will put his feare in our hearts that we shall not turn from him So that Gods work ever leaves some impression of the like frame in us if God first love us then we learn to love him Vse 1. To reprove the Papists and Pelagians that have attributed the efficacy of grace to other causes If you should ask the Pelagians of old their followers at this day what is the reason why Peter accepts Gods love Simon Magus refuseth it They would say the one was willing to accept the offer the other not Well then the efficacy of grace consists in our wils then we begin first Many of the Papists say the same but the more moderate amongst them ask them why Peter accepts grace Simon Magus refuseth it they say the grace offered was sufficient for them both but God offered it to Peter in a fit time and place when his heart was free from temptation but it was offered
because his is a Spirit of truth Doct. The Spirit of God bearing witnesse â—â— the Scripture and in the hearts â—f Gods people is a Spirit of â—ruth John 14.16 17. John 16. â— When the Spirit of Truth is 〈◊〉 he shall guide you into all truth Quest Why is it called a Spirit of Truth Answ Not only because be in one of the Persons in the blessed Trinity and therefore his witnesse must needs be truth a man that works by a rule may goâ— awâ—y but the rule it selfe is not awry the holy Ghost being a God of Truth cannot 〈◊〉 speak truth himselfe being the line cannot goe wrong But he is called a Spirit of truth rather 1. Because he speaks nothing but what he hears of the Father and of the Son John 16.13 â—â—e Spirit 〈◊〉 â—â—thing from the Father and the Son speaks nothing but 〈◊〉 we receives from them what they apprehend and judge the same 〈◊〉 testifies John 8.26 and he speaks it without change and alteration 2. Because he speaks a testimony not of a shadowing or typical representation 〈◊〉 and manifest truth Moses sâ—ake by types which observed the 〈◊〉 but what the holy Ghost speaks is evident truth without vâ—â—d or covering â— Cor. â— 17 18. 3. From the effect of the Spirit the Spirit not only speaks but works truth in the hearts of those to whom he speaks by speaking truth he works truth in the heart so that they that receive the testimony are of the truth John 3.19 2 John 1.2 Now they that receive the testimony of the Spirit that Jesus Christ is come by water and bloud they are cleansed from the world from dissimulation and hypocrisie and so are made of the truth Object How comes it to passe then that sometimes many speaking by the Spirit yet speak falsly and yet are confident they speak truth Answ True a man having received some work of the Spirit may speak falsehood as Zedekiah 1 Kings 22.24 and yet was confident he spake by the Spirit but yet though a man speaking by a spirit of delusion may think he hath spoken the truth yet it hinders not but when the Spirit of God indeed bears witnesse it may be discerned to be truth Vse 1. If this Spirit bearing witnesse to Christs coming be a Spirit of truth then such as have received the Spirit of truth need not be afraid that they are led by a spirit of delusion that doe believe that Jesus Christ came by water and bloud Jer. 20.10 11. the way of the righteous man cannot deceive him Quest How shall I know that this spirit doth not deceive when it witnesseth pardon and healing and the like Answ 1. The Spirit bears witnesse of it selfe as well as of other things the Sun shews it selfe as well as makes other things visible 2. The Spirit beareth witnesse of it selfe from the work it frames in the hearts of Gods servants the testimony of the Spirit doth so set on its witnesse doth so pacifie and purifie the conscience that he plainly sees that this is the very Spirit of God which is manifest by the fruits 3. The testimony of the Spirit breathing in the Word and in the hearts of Gods children doe so agree in every thing that its evident to be the same Spirit though it be true the Spirit is more strong and evident in the Scripture the witnesse may be weak in our hearts yet always in the main aim and ends they agree together 4. By how much the more suitable it is to the Scripture by so much the more it conforms us to the Image of Christ the Spirit of Christs make you meek and lowly as he was draws us from earthly objects to a more divine frame that Spirit which fashions to Christ is of God Vse 2. Of just reproof to Gods servants that have found the bloud of Christ pacifying and purifying their hearts if in this case their souls doubt and are solicitous they refuse the testimony of the Spirit Satan say they may transform himselfe into an Angell of light I but Satan cannot pacifie the conscience much lesse purifie it himselfe being an unclean spirit loves to draw on others to impurity if therefore the spirit within you draw you on to walk in truth and to frame your heart according to the Image of Christ if you finde any measure of peace and purity its evident the Spirit is a Spirit of truth Vse 3. Of comfort to all such as have put their trust in Christ upon the testimony of Gods Spirit witnessing to them that Christ came to save and heal them Why this is strong consolation to them that which makes out spirits doubtfull is the deceitfulnesse of our own hearts Jer. 17.10 But yet this should comfort us that though our hearts be deceitfull yet this Spirit of God breathing in us is a Spirit of truth and if you would know whether you have a spirit of truth in you or no Why by this you shall know it that Spirit which speaks peace and purity to a mans soul that Spirit is of God Satan may doe much but he is not able to transform himselfe into such a spirit no other spirit can work this but the Spirit of God a spirit speaking peace without purity may be a delusion and a spirit speaking purity without any measure of peace may be a delusion for all the paths of Wisdome are peace but both peace and purity together doe evidently manifest it to be the Spirit of God Vse 4. For them that have found any measure of peace and purity they ought to teach them to be very carefull to discern whether this spirit be of God or no if thou hast found much peace and withall thou walkest in simplicity and godly sincerity this Spirit is of God 2 Cor. 1.12 But if our peace make us carelesse of our wayes and more licentious we shall never approve such a spirit to be of God where Gods Spirit breaths the more peace the more care of purity and therefore let us always put them together Herods spirit of joy was a spirit of delusion because it was not a spirit of purity Mark 6.20 Herod and David both fell into the same lusts how shall we know whether of them had the Spirit of God David for a while seemed to do worst but Herod he so favoured his lust that he destroyed John that reproved him David he heard the Prophet and humbled himself and renewed his repentance before God and therefore doubtlesse his Spirit was of God because he was studious of purity such a soul as favours his lust and takes part with it hath not Gods Spirit in him that sicknesse is mortall that refuseth utterly all means of health if therefore either our peace or purity be wanting we shall not have this testimony of Gods Spirit that spirit that speaks both is a Spirit of truth 1 JOHN 5.7 For there are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and
it which speaks in the heart of every believer John 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father which sent me draw him as none come to Christ except the Father draw him so he draws none but by the same power whereby he sent Christ and that was by his Soveraign authority if God should draw us onely by the cords of men we should break through all as the Israelites did Hos 11.4 But when God shakes our hearts by an Almighty power and lets us see the danger of our estate and after enlightens us to see the wayes of salvation then he draws a man on to Christ take a naturall man all the world cannot perswade him of his dangerous estate but he is perswaded of his good nature and good heart towards God Secondly If he be convinced of it all the world cannot perswade him that any promise belongs to him and therefore here God must put forth an Almighty power of a Spirit of adoption whereby he is brought on to believe the promises before he had onely an humane credulity now he believes it from a testimony within himselfe John 6.45 2 The Son of God bears witnesse in our hearts of this truth by speaking freedome and liberty to our souls from the guilt of sin John 8.36 If the Son shall make you free then shall you be free indeed that whereas before we were bound to our sins and lusts and wayes Christ comes and sets us free from all so that now we serve not our selves or men but the Lord Christ by this a Christian knows that surely Christ is the Son of God that hath made me a son of God my selfe 3 The Spirit bears witnesse to our hearts of this truth by convincing our hearts of it John 16.9 Secondly By working a Spirit of faith and a spirit of joy in believing John 14.16 17. Hence he is called the Comforter Thirdly By giving us a spirit to make us overcome the temptations of the world and the lusts of our own hearts 2 Tim. 1.7 1 John 4.4 and this testimony is divine 1 Because it is the revelation and will of God himselfe 2 Because it is above all humane power thus to draw us and convince us and strengthen and comfort us against all temptations For the three witnesses on earth they likewise bear witnesse to this truth in our hearts 1 The Spirit that is the Spirit breathing in the Word hath such a mighty power to enlighten and quicken and strengthen a soul that whatsoever the Spirit speaks in the Scripture the same it witnesseth in our souls 1 Cor. 14.24 25. 2 Water bears witnesse in our hearts to this truth that is the water of Sanctification doth so cleanse and cool and refresh the conscience of a man and make him so fruitful in his Christian course that it 's plainly a divine testimony it passeth all the power of the creature thus to pacifie and quiet the conscience it is only the Spirit of God that is able thus to pacifie a guilty soul thus to cleanse an impure heart and to make these dry barren stocks as we are fruitful this is a divine work of Gods Spirit 3 The bloud of Christ witnesseth this truth to our hearts by being sprinkled on our consciences and so speaking peace to us this is a divine work 2 The same bloud purifies every Ordinance and creature there would be no vertue in any Ordinance nothing would doe us good but for the bloud of Christ sanctifying it to our use now this testimony is of greater force then the testimony of all the sons of men together There be three things needful in a testimony 1 That it be certain 2 Evident 3 Powerfull and Effectuall 1 This divine testimony is more certain then all the testimonies of the world because God is greater in knowledge and so knows more then men can 2 Because he is greater in truth men may erre but God cannot lye Tit. 1.2 3. Rom. 4.2 2 This testimony is more evident to make a thing evident is required 1 Objectum perspicuum 2 Organum bene affectum 3 Medium apte dispositum Now God doth make this truth evident by the concurrence of all these 1 He lets us plainly see the danger of sin and the vertue and worth of Christs bloud God reveals his Son to our hearts John 3.12 Gal. 1.46 so what the Gospel speaks of his Son the same is plainly revealed and so he makes the object perspicuous 2 He opens the eyes of men to discern it to long after it to tast of his vertue and power Acts 26.18 1 Pet. 2.3 1 Cor. 2.14 15. A natural man sees nothing of this work 3 He clears the Medium that is the Word and Sacraments Prayer Christian Communion so that whereas before we lookt at them but as beggerly rudiments of little power or worth after God hath once enlightned us we see the power and vertue of God therein so plainly as if we had been touched by the Sun beams 3 This divine testimony is far more powerfull then any humane testimony Heb. 4.12 13. 2 Cor. 10.4 5. The Ordinances of God are mighty and effectual through God so to change and renew our hearts that no humane power is able to reach them Vse 1. To refute two doctrines of the Romish Church 1 That the last ground-work of faith is resolved on the testimony of the Church Ask them if they believe Jesus to be the Son of God they say yes ask them why Because the Scripture say so ask rhem But why doe you believe the Scripture From the testimony of the Church say they so that their best faith is but humane credulity But ask a true Protestant why he believes Jesus to be the Son of God he tels you because the Scripture say so ask him why he believes the Scripture he saith not because the Church believes so but he believes it from a testimony within himselfe What say they you trust a private spirit of your own nay his private spirit is common with him to all believers ever since the world was and that spirit is no other then the Spirit of God that breatheth in all his children Besides he hath other witnesses in his heart the Spirit the water and the bloud and this is a divine testimony greater then the witnesse of all the world so that here is a double errour of theirs 1 In grounding their faith upon the Churches testimony 2 In blaspheming the Spirit of God for a private spirit Fundamental errours That Doctrine that lifts the Church from Christ and builds it on the testimony of the Fathers and the Schools that doctrine overthrows the foundation for other foundation can no man lay then what is laid already even Jesus Christ 2 It refutes another uncomfortable doctrine of the Romish Church that teach that a man cannot by divine faith have assurance of his estate in grace and salvation for say they all divine faith is generall thus he that repents
Psal 119.5 24. Try therefore if such a covenant have past betwixt you and God have we for our parts given up our selves to God be sure God hath prevented us in all this if there have no such covenant past between you and God then God is not your God you have not Christ Object Who is there to be found that so looks to his own wayes and his housholds that he walks so strictly with God as you require Answ True they that doe make a covenant with God often break even as often as there is a thought or word or action that was not from Gods word or mouth or counsel but this is our hope 1. We have Christ for our surety of this covenant Heb. 7.22 and he will make up all breaches when therefore we break covenant with God let us renew our humlliations and be ashamed of our breach of covenant and charge our souls for it and acknowledge that as we have broken covenant with God so might God justly breake covenant with us and if we thus return and humble our selves then God will renew his covenant with us again 2. We have Christ by way of acceptance this is exprest Joh. 1.12 To as many as received him he gave them power to become the sons of God to receive him as divers expresse this place is to receive him as a Father as a King as an Husband but it may rather be conceived that to receive Christ is to receive him into an house or Temple and this may be gathered from the precedent words vers 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is meant his own place or own home for so it is used Joh. 19.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he took her into his home so as many as received him as many as received him into their hearts as into a Temple when we thus receive him we have him Quest How doe we receive Christ as into a Temple Answ Three wayes 1. When we prepare a way for him to come into his holy Temple Mal. 3.1 Now what is this preparation Isa 40.3 4. 1. Mountains must be puld down that is the lofty spirits of man must be puld down and that is when we subject our selves at his feet willing to be disposed and framed which way he pleaseth and to do what he would have us do if we would have Christ come into our hearts he must not find high craggy rocky wayes but all must be laid level and even 2. Every valley shall be filled that is every base eatthly heart shall be lifted up to the high wayes of the Lord to mind life and heavenly things raised up above earthlinesse and low things of the world Psal 24.7 to 10. Lift up your heads O ye Gates and be ye lifted up ye everlasting doores that the King of glory may come in Christ will not descend into pits but if your hearts be set on heavenly things on Gods favour and his heavenly Kingdome then you are fit for Christ 2. A mans heart may be too low through despair many a poor soul after his high thoughts are puld down he sinks down so low into despair that he thinks no promise or mercy belongs to him Why this heart is too low for Christ therefore it behoves a christian to beleeve there is an hope in Israel concerning this Christ hath had mercy on as bad as me and therefore we will lay our mouths in the dust till he shall have mercy on us and if he offer grace we are willing to receive it 3. Crooked things must be made straight there are in our hearts many turnings in and out these must be made straight it 's when we look with a single eye and are willing to be guided by a straight rule and aim singly at Gods ends such an heart is fit for Christ when it 's cleansed from all hypocrisie 2. There is another crookednesse of our hearts when we shift off and cover sin Psal 125.5 but to prevent it Christ will have us deale plainly discover our sins openly before God and then is Christ ready to come suddainly into his Temple 4. Rough places must be made smooth many a mans heart is rough and harsh and bitter why God will have this frame of heart laid down all bitternesse and wrath put away and the heart made loving and meek the Lamb Christ will not rest in Lyons dens therefore rhe Apostle bids us lay aside all wrath and malice when our rough hearts are made smooth end amiable why then undoubtedly Christ will come into his Temple 2. When Christ is come into our hearts if we would look to keep him there we must look to it that there be no common and unclean thing found there 2 Cor. 6.16 17 18. This Temple is an holy place therefore put away not only unclean but common things all your affairs must be dedicated to the Lord all your wealth and store all your houshold and children must be consecrate to the Lord Christ loves to lye clean he dislikes even bodily slovenlinesse much more spirituall defilements 3. To receive Christ into his Temple is to look well to the charge of Gods holy offerings God would have every man in particular to take the charge of his holy things on himselfe and not put it off to others let every one keep his charge every one offer up his dayly sacrifice and his service for the Sabbath all Gods offerings must be looked to and if we doe thus God will rest in his holy Temple for ever Exod. 15.2 consider therefore whether you have thus received Christ have you found your proud hearts humbled your base earthly hearts lifted up to Gods wayes all crooked by-paths of hypocrisie and shifting put away doe you find your rough spirits made smooth and amiable Why if it be so then Christ is come and when he is come doe you strive to keep your hearts clean and undefiled and dedicate your selves and yours to God you keep the charge of Gods holy offerings and set up his Ordinances amongst you why then we have received Christ è contra if we find it not thus we have no Christ and so no life Hitherto we have heard what it is to have Christ the second thing to be inquired after is What it is to have the Son He that hath the Son hath life it is not enough to have Christ but if we would have life we must have Christ as the Son Quest What then is it to have the Son Answ There are three things implyed in having the Son 1. That such a have Christ in truth doe not rest so much in having any of the benefits of Christ but they doe chiefly affect to have the Son himselfe many professors sought after Christ for the loaves sake John 16.26 27. But Christ bids them not to labour for the meat that perisheth but to labour for Christ himself the bread of life hereby Peter discovered hypocrisie of Simon Magus in that he desired the gift of
keeps nothing but what it converts to its own nourishment so a Christian cuts away every superfluity if it be a thing of no purpose or no use to his calling though it may to others this he abandons James 1.21 But that knowledge which may be either necessary or expedient for him that a Christian retains a Christian casts out that chiefly which is contrary to grace 1. Doubtings for that is contrary to the life of grace 2. It casts away all presumption and selfe-dependance perfect love casts out fear and patience strives against frowardnesse and every grace against its contrary so that he may grow up to full holinesse the life of grace casts out the life of the world so much of the world as is cumbersome to his spirit so much a Christian lays down A fifth act of life is the begetting of his kind nature grows up to this ability though at first it be but weak so grace no sooner moves or grows or feeds in any measure but it hath a minde to beget others as soon as ever the woman of Samaria began to be acquainted with Christ she ran to all her neighbors and tells them she had met with one that told her all that ever she had done Is not this the Christ John 4.29 This is the nature of spirituall life as soon as they are well begot themselves they are ready to beget others Indeed a Christian may hide himselfe a while but as soon as he is assured of life himselfe he propagates the same to others John 1.41 to 46. When one Disciple was called he goes and calls another to come and see Psal 51.10 11 12 13. David professeth that if God will but assure him of mercy and establish him therein then he will teach others Gods ways and sinners shall be converted unto him he that is once converted himselfe his care is to convert others to God Try your selves by these signes Doe you finde your selves moving a life of grace growing up therein feeding upon Christ expelling the enemies of life and drawing on others to the same life these are evident signes of life if you finde it not thus there is no true signe of the life of grace in you 3. This life may be discerned by the properties of it by finding of which we may discern of our spirituall life And there are three principall properties of life 1. Where ever life is there is some warmth When Elisha had stretched himselfe over the dead childe the flesh of the dead childe began to wax warm a signe of life 2 Kings 4.34 So the presence of the Spirit united to the soul of man is the cause of all spiritual heat Rom. 12.11 Fervent in spirit Therefore the Spirit is compared to fire Mat. 3.11 1 Thes 5.19 Quench not the Spirit A signe that the Spirit is of a fervent nature So 2 Tim. 1.6 I put thee in remembrance to blow up the graces of Gods Spirit A Metaphor taken from blowing up the fire with bellows all which imply that the Spirit of Christ communicated to Christians is a fervent spirit Where there is no warmth there is no life If our spirit begin to wax warm it s a signe of spirituall life as the two Disciples that went to Emaus said Luke 22.32 Did not our hearts burn within us whilest he spake those things Implying the Word hath a power to quicken and warm and heat the spirit of a Christian This same warmth and heat is exprest divers wayes 1. The very knowledge of a Christian is warm whereas in all others the knowledge is cold and meerly speculative without any life or power There is a zeal according to knowledge and there is a knowledge according to zeal The zeal that is not according to knowledge is a rash vaine zeal Rom. 10.2 So it is a cold empty knowledge that hath not zeal with it John was a burning and a shining light shewing every severall condition what they should doe but he burnt up the hypocrisie and lusts of the body and inflamed their affections with zeal and warmth as Herod heard him gladly Where there is truth of light and knowledge there is burning The knowledge of a Christian makes him fruitfull in a Christian course 2 Pet. 1.8 So that whatever he knows either necessary or expedient for him to doe he will doe it and he will cause others to doe their duties that belong unto him such is the heat of his spirit that he will not suffer his Brother to lie in sin Lev. 19.17 Now another man knows many things but doth them not nor thinks he is bound to doe them but a Christians knowledge is of that nature that it will not suffer him or his Brother to lie in any sin True Christians are thought oft-times to be more busie then needs 2. There is warmth in our breath as long as there is life in us there is breath and that breath is warm so if there be any spirituall life there is alwayes some warm breathing some warmth in his breathing towards God there is alwayes some warmth in his prayers the prayers of hypocrites are but cold and empty and vanish away but there is alwayes some breath of life in a good mans prayers even then when we know not what to pray for or how to pray yet then there is alwayes something in him that expresseth warmth his very sighings and groans come from some kinde of heat and life Rom. 8.16 2. As their breathing towards God is warm so they breath warmth one towards another so that in their conference if they speak of the things of the Word they doe not speak slightly and overly without any affection but they speak of them with reverence and fear and love and affection 3. There is that kinde of warmth in him as that thereby he doth not onely affect the Word but he is able to digest it in some measure there is no life but there is some power to digest something if not strong meat Psal 119.20 My soul breaketh for the longing it hath to thy judgements So Psal 42. My soul panteth after thee This very panting and breathing of the soul after God so unites the soul unto God that thereby he digests something that inables him to walk before God in the land of the living whereas an hypocrite is hopelesse to any good 4. If things be warm the more they lye together the more warmth and heat cold logs laid together heat not one another but two or three brands put together are enough to kindle an heap of wood so take a Christian that is very cold and almost benummed yet put him to two or three more and one word kindles another and their spirits are more and more inflamed more fit to pray and fitter to admonish and comfort and help forward one another 1 Pet. 4.8 Fervent love among Brethren so kindles one another that they are inflamed to any good offices but when Christians are disjoynted they lose all
is that place Dan. 9.23 ch 10.12 At the beginning of his supplication the commandement came forth only God was bringing it about in the Court of Persia The King oft-times grants a petition the first day it is put up but it must passe many hands before it come to the subject so the very first day we put up a lawfull prayer God grants it there be many means to bring it about which we must waite for Doct. Such as do believe on the name of Christ for salvation may come to have confidence and knowledge of the hearing and having all their petitions For explication How do these two great benefits confidence and knowledge of granting our prayers spring from what St. John hath written in this Epistle Answ Five things concur to this confidence and all of them insisted upon by St. John in this Epistle 1. Our adoption exprest by St. John ch 3.1 He wonders at the admirable love of God not only indebasing of himselfe to behold things here below as David did Psal 113.4 to 8. but in looking on us poor earth-wormes and raising us up to be Sons and daughters to God So that this is the first ground of our confidence in prayer viz. our adoption that we are Sons of God Gal. 4.5 6. Rom. 8.15 To whom may a Son come more boldly then to his Father And what assures him more of the grant of his petitions then that he is his Son 2. Christs advocation breeds confidence in us 1 Joh. 2.1 2â— Christ pleads with his Father on our behalfe for the hearing our petitions and for the granting of what we want An Advocate puts the petition that it may be was rudely drawn by a man into a form of Law and so it holds currant in Law so doth Christ with our prayers he puts them into a right form and so pleads for us 2. The atonement or propitiation of Christ is another cause of confidence 1 Joh. 2.2 So that whereas many a Christian may be afraid that his prayers shall never be heard he is so sinfull and unclean Why saith St. John If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father and he is the propitiation for our sins He is not onely an Advocate but a propitiation to make atonement for our sins that they shall not hinder our acceptance 4. The anoyntment of the Spirit whereby we know all things 1 Joh. 3.20 is a ground of much confidence that though we be blind and dull and know not what God doth for us in our prayers or how they speed in heaven why Christ like an Advocate sends down his Spirit and lets us know how all things speed This unction teacheth us all things 1 Cor. 2.12 Q. How doth the Spirit certifie us of the hearing of our petitions 1. By helping us to pray for we know our own hearts are dead and straight not able to put up any good prayer if therefore the Spirit come like oyl and make us pray affectionately and sensibly we know a prayer well made cannot speed ill a prayer made by Gods Spirit cannot but be heard for God knows the meaning of his Spirit Rom. 8.26 2. This Spirit puts in us a perswasion of faith that what we pray for God will answer Matth. 11.23 24. And so God gives us an Amen in our hearts Psal 6.8 David was in a sore tryall and affliction he prayes to God then Vers 8. Away from me all ye workers of iniquity for the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping In the midst of his mourning this unction fills him with a perswasion of the granting of his prayers and so God often times satisfies the heart of a Christian with this perswasion Hannah when she had poured out her spirit before God and Eli had said to her The Lord grant thy petition thou askest of him Why she took this as a voyce from heaven and so she went away comfortably and she feared that petition no more 1 Sam. 1.16 17. 2. There is another act of faith besides perswasion and that is a constant wrestling against all discouragements which come betwixt us and our prayers famous is that example of the woman of Syrophaenicia Matth. 15 26 27 28. If the holy Ghost doth but give us so much resolution as not to be overwearyed with d fficulties then Be it unto thee thou wilt 3. This Spirit works as a Spirit of hope and this stirs us up to wait patiently on God till he answer our carnall spirits would be ready to say Wherefore should I wait on the Lord any longer as that wicked King did but now a spirit of hope waits on God till God shall give an answer of peace Psal 85.8 Psal 130. 2 last vers When God gives us spirits to wait on him he seals up unto us the grant of our petitions A wise Prince if a petition be put up that is lawfull and he bid me wait for it I count it granted so if I put up a prayer and God give me an heart to wait for it I make account he will grant it 4. This Spirit is a Spirit of fear Psal 145.9 Dost thou walk in thy Christian course depending upon Christ reverencing his name and Ordinances Why God will fulfill the desires of them that fear him Jer. 32.40 And so he keeps covenant with us If God give us an awefull reverent heart that keeps us from departing from God and God from departing from us then the Lord will be neer when we call upon him and this is from the unction of the Spirit which make us profit in all our wayes Isa 11.2 3. 5. This is a Spirit of obedience and that gives us good assurance of the hearing of our petitions 1 Joh. 3.21 For as we hearken to God so God hearkens to us Prov. 28.9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the Law his prayer shall be abominable But if you hearken to God God will hearken to you Judg. 9.7 If we say Speake Lord for thy servant heareth 1 Sam. 3.5 then what we speake God will hear An obedient Christian is a powerfull petitioner mighty in prayer 6. From the root of confidence which springs partly from Gods nature partly from faith in Christ partly from the unction of the Spirit now for those things we see many promises belong to us our adoption assures us of Gods Nature that he is a mercifull Father our Father assures us that Christ is our Advocate the unction of the Spirit breeds in us experience that we have the Son that we are Sons it assures us of our election vocation and salvation and if it assure us of greater matters then much more of the grant of our prayers Rom. 8.32 But now knowledge is a further work knowledge springs either from sense or experience Now then this unction of the Spirit which gives us experience not only gives us confidence but knowledge that our prayers are heard Eph. 3.19 This Spirit of God in our hearts gives us
our reconciliation then it shews us what we are without Christ enemies to God and such enemies then if all the Angells and Saints in heaven should put in for us they could not make propitiation for us it is only Christs Prerogative Col. 1.21 Rom. 5.20 Ephes 2.3 we are enemies and strangers to God and all our imaginations of our hearts wholly evill continually we are ready to delude our selves I hope I am not so farre out with God I am not an enemy but we are all so by nature Vse 3. It should teach us when we doe find and feele that we are sinners to consider of Christs Reconciliation and Propitiation Q. I doe believe that Christ hath made an Attonement for sinners and reconciled all Beleevers but how shall I know that I am of that number or no Ans 1. Hath Christ ever brought you to see Gods face with comfort if you have at any time beheld Gods face with joy and comfort know that this could not be unlesse Christ had been a Propitiation for you Obj. I but that comfort is all gone again Ans No man that is brought into the Kings presence stands alwayes before him but there is a time for the King to sequester himselfe from him so there is no Christian that stands alwayes in the presence of Gods face it is enough if thou hast been brought to kiss Gods hand and taste of his favour Obj. But I have never felt any comfort or joy in Prayer and other Ordinances Ans 1. I would ask you Are you fallen out with your sins if you be you love God and are beloved of him Psal 97.10 2 Doe you finde that you love God much for you have been a great sinner and yet God hath had mercy on you if so it is a sign much is forgiven you 3 Do you finde your hearts compassionate over other mens sins it is a sign yours are forgiven Matth. 17.23 to 33. Eph. 4. ult Vse 4. If we find that we are enemies to God and our peace is not made with him it is our wisdome to pacifie God doe as Adoniah did when he had offended King Solomon he ran and tooke hold of the hornes of the Altar 1 King 1.15 so we should run and lay hold on Christ as he that had any benefit by a Sacrifice was to lay his hands on his head so would you have any benefit by Christ lay hold on him confesse your sins over him intreat him to make your peace with God Q. But how shall I know whether I lay hold on Christ A. 1. No man layes hold on Christ but he takes him for better for worse he takes him to be a Ruler as well as a Saviour you must give up your selves to be guided by his will as well as to receive any benefit by him 2 If you finde your hearts wholly resting on Christ and none but him if this be the frame of your heart that there is none in Heaven or Earth that you desire in comparison of him Psal 73.25 then you have laid hold upon him Vse 5. For Christians that have their sins pardoned and are in Christ though it be thus with you yet you are not to think that you have no need of Christ for were you as St. John and the Apostles Pillars yet you have need of an Advocate and Propitiation still for in many things you sin daily and fall out with God so that if God should fall out with us as often as we with him we should never have peace therefore still goe to Christ intreat him to be your Attonement from day to day Christ is not only a Peace-maker but a Peace-keeper we daily offend God or others or our selves and therefore stand daily in need of Christs mediation We have much need of Christs Spirit to helpe us in our prayers Vse 6. Of consolation to every Christian soul to consider in the midst of our sins that we have Christ for our propitiation to keep our peace with God there is not a day passeth over our heads wherein we fall not out with God and if Christ should not put in what would become of us but here is the comfort Christ is our propitiation and therefore it is certaine and sure that he is more able to keep our peace than we are to breake it and besides he hath taken it upon him he hath made it his Office to be an Attonement between God and us and here is also further comfort that he hath not only been a means of reconciliation but he hath manifested it unto us he hath brought us to see Gods face with comfort But this is not all but here is matter of further comfort in that he being made a propitiation for the whole world the whole World shall be at peace with us there is a reconciliation betwixt me and all the Creatures I have comfort from every blessing from Christs Propitiation Job 5.19 and 23. so that whatsoever a Christian meets with whether good deeds or bad persecution c. why this is his comfort that the whole world shall be for his good though I meet with crosses and afflictions it shall be for my good from this ground that Christ is a propitiation for the whole world Vse 7. Seeing God hath made so large an Attonement for all let us draw one another to take heed of sin to run to Christ make use of Christs Attonement and take heâ—d of sin this use old Eli made 1 Sam. 2.25 If one man sin against another tâ—â— Judge shall judge it but if a man sin against the Lord who shall plead for him If you fall out with God and walke in sin who shall make your peace with him that is a work no friend you have can doe no meanes you can procure can make up that breach none but Christ and you must not presume upon Christs mediation he will not be a baud to any ones sin that is a sign of Reprobation to turn Gods grace into wantonnesse Jude 4. and take heed we doe not offend Christ it is notable counsell God gives to Moses to deliver to the people Exod. 23.20 21.22 Behold I send an Angel before thee that is Christ the Angell of the Covenant beware of him provoke him not he will not spare your misdeeds for my name is in him if you doe willingly sin against him he will not pardon you therefore encourage all the friends you have to make use of Christs Reconciliation he is a propitiation for little children vers 1. for young men for old men in the following verses for all that are willing to lay hold on him this use Paul makes 2 Cor. 5.19 20 21. this is the chiefe point of the Gospel that God hath made Christ a propitiation for sin therefore we beseech you to make use of it take not Christs blood in vain beware to offend his grace and mercy and labour to bring on all to Christ since the propitiation is so generall seeing there
and taking pains to keep the Deputy from the faith he calls him the childe of the Devil Act. 13.10 4 Hence we learn If the Devil have got this Name by excelling in wickednesse and drawing on others to sin and taking pains to doe mischief then on the contrary bâ— how much the more any excell in goodnesse strive to draw on others to God and take pains in it they are the more like God their Father Because ye have overcome the wicked one All overcoming implies a fight so that when you read of their overcoming it implies that young men have strong wrestlings with Satan Doct. Satan as he is an enemy to all mankind so especially to young men He doth not write to Fathers or Babes that they have overcome the wicked one as if it were not so proper to them but he chiefly incourages young men I write unto you young men implying it was a proper work for them Observe all the temptations of Satan in Scripture and where you shall read of one old man tempted by Satan you shall read of ten young men when did Satan set upon Eve was it not presently after her first creation our Saviour was not above thirty years old when Satan tempted him Peter when he was tempted was young we shall finde few falls of Gods Saints but it was in their young dayes except two Noah and Solomon who fell in their old dayes and lesse shall we read of Children 2 Kings 2.22 but Satan chiefest assaults have alwayes been against young men Reas 1. Why Satan chiefly sets upon young men it is from the vigour of their nature and parts which God gives them their courage their strength and fervency therefore Satan strives to draw them on and he knows that if they get loose from him they will doe him least and doe God most service more than either old men or Children therefore he strives chiefly to draw them on indeed God sometimes makes use of the weakest but Satan alwayes makes use of the stirring quickest spirits among men 2. Because he hath most advantage to surprize them no age so subject to temptation 2 Tim. 2.22 Fly youthfull lusts yet he was not more subjâ—ct to lusts than others nay he was of a weak abstemious natuâ—e 1 Tim. 5.23 yet Paul charges him to take heed of youthfull lusts if such a weak abstemious nature was subject to youthfull lusts then it implies that no age is so subject to be led into lusts as youth 3. From the counsel of God whose purpose it is then to magnifie his Grace when corruption is strongest therefore God himselfe who is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to magnifie his Grace le ts loose Satan upon young men so it was with our Saviour Mat. 4. It is the purpose of God that where sin abounds Grace should much more abound Rom. 5.20 therefore it is that young men are most strongly assaulted that God may magnifie his Grace But why doe the temptations of young men exceed all other ages Why Children are not yet come to the lusts of youth and old men are past them so that young men are most liable to temptations and discouragements Vse 1. It may therefore teach young men to fear their Estates if they have not strong temptations it is a sign the Devill hath strong hold already and so is in peace but otherwise they are subject to spirituall assaults Three Temptations Satan commonly assaults the Sons of men with 1. Against their effectual Callings their repentance he perswades them it is yet too soon to look towards repentance and they are more liable to evill company given more to pleasures and delights than old men and impatient of Counsell and if God break through this 2. Then he puts them to question their Faith and Adoption whether they be Gods Children or no their strong lusts make them doubt of it and if Gods Grace break through this 3. He tempts them about their sanctification he will fill their hearts with unclean lusts and if a man break through these he hath much cause to magnifie Gods Grace Vse 2. To teach young men seeing Satans aime is chiefly at them to strive to grow strong against him watch warily against him that the evill one touch you not And there are three especiall Graces to help young men against the assaults of Satan 1. Sobriety watch to Sobriety be sober and vigilant 1 Pet. 5.8 take heed of intemperancy and inconstancy 2. Stand stedfast in the faith 1 Pet. 5.9 not trusting to your own strength or courage but relie upon God while young men are confident of themselves as Peter they fall but if you stay your selves upon God he will support you 3. Treasure up the grace of Humility that you think not highly of your selves which is the folly of youth God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble And there are three Duties which I commend to young men 1. Diligence in your Callings the want of which overthrew David when he was idle Satan took advantage to tempt him to uncleannes 2 Sam. 11.12 2. Frequency in Gods ordinances in reading and hearing the Word v. 14. the more you treasure up the Word the more power and strength you have against Satan and the more you receive the Sacrament the more strength you get for this is the end of receiving the Sacrament to get strength against your lusts 3. Be frequent in Prayer and that will help you much James 4.7 8. Draw near to God complain of the slipperinesse of your nature of your weaknesse to withstand Satans assaults and intreat God to give you strength that you may hold out Doct. Satan may be overcome and is often-times overcome and disappointed of his hold even by young men against whom he had most advantage I write unto you young men because you have overcome the wicked one Q. 1. What is it to overcome Satan A. It is a borrowed speech from the Victory of Souldiers in War and Souldiers overcome either by killing their enemy or spoyling or captivating or putting to flight their enemies now Satan cannot be put to death he is a Spirit and so is not capable of death onely of the second death And to lead him captive that Victory is onely peculiar unto Christ Eph. 4.8 He led captivity captive But for the two last so young-men may overcome Satan they may spoile him and put him to flight for spoyling Christ hath done the worst Col. 1.15 he hath spoyled Satan But 1. For putting him to flight Young men may doe this James 4.7 which implies that there is a possibility in young men and a power to stand and not to yield to his temptations for though he hath a power to delude our Sences and may hurry a mans body about yet he cannot captivate our Wills therefore stand resist give no place and if you doe so he will fly from you for shame he hath no power longer to hold out when he sees a man
punishes them Job 34.9 10 11 12. Rom. 1.18 19. Gal. 5.17 the flesh lusteth against the Spirit of God therefore God is against them But what is the reason why they cannot challenge their Original from God Reas 1. From the purity of God Hab. 1.8 he is of pure eyes and so abhors all sin What fellowship hath light with darknesse what fellow ship hath filthy lusts of the flesh with a pure God what fellowship hath a â—â—vetous heart with a liberal God a proud heart with the great God a proud man will be his first cause and last end and therefore hatefull to God Psal 5.4 5. Reas 2. From the basenesse and indisposednesse of sin to the service of God Jam. 1.13 14. there is nothing in sin for which God should desire it or respect it or make use of it Obj. Doth not the Scripture manifest that there is no sin but God hath a great hand in it why did Josephs Brethren fell him was it not from envy and from pride and yet he saith it was God that fold him Gen. 45.7.8 was it not from envy that the Pharisees crucified Christ and yet it was but what God fore ordained and for Judas was it not from covetousnesse that he betrayed him and yet God had decreed it and for the lusts of the flesh doth not God speake plainly That he would give Davids wives into the hands of Absalom so that no sin but it is from Gods hand nor pride nor covetousnesse nor voluptuousnesse how is it then that no lust can challenge its Original from God they are not of the Father Ans They are of the Father as of the World but not in that sence as they are of the World they are not from him as an Author or Fountaine or causa per se for the good God can worke no evill but yet there is no sin but he is the occasion of it though the cause of no sin all good things come from God as a cause all evill as from an occasion thereof as the Gospel is a Gospel of peace and from the God of Peace yet it is made a fire-brand of contention to set men at variance and strife Mark 10. but it is not the proper worke of the Gospel but of the corrupt distemper of men that abuse it to the contrary end there is no work of sin that doth per se propagate by God but by occasion Now the accidental work of God in sin stands 1 In a leaving men to themselves 2 In leaving them to Satan 3 In propounding good occasions and objects which they pervert to sin First So God would hearden Pharoahs heart How by leaving him to himself as wax left to it selfe will grow hard how much more the stony heart of man God not ruling and working in his heart it grows hard Secondly He left him to Satan he suffered Satan to helpe his South-sayers to doe the like miracles as Moses did Exod. 7.13.22 and because he saw his Enchanters could doe so much he thought they were no better than his Magicians Thirdly He hardens our hearts often by many comforts mercies and outward blessings and these often harden our hearts as respite from Judgements did Pharaohs Exod. 8.15 when it should lead us to repentance Rom. 2.4 5. yet by occasion it hardens our hearts so for other lusts How did God tempt Absalom First by leaving him to his lustfull heart Secondly By leaving him to ill counsell Thirdly By giving the Kingdome into his hand so that he took liberty to commit that wickednesses to lye with his Fathers Concubines So how did God work Josephs selling into Egypt First By turning his Fathers love towards him above his other Brethren Secondly By his dreams which stirre them up to sell him so that God only gives the occasion and propounds objects which they abuse to sin so God stirred up the Pharisees and Judas to Crucifie and betray Christ God left him to himselfe then 1 Satan fil'd his heart Joh. 13.2.27 and God gave a fit opportunity to take him so the Pharisees they envied him they saw he would take away their glory and credit therefore they envied him but those were but such occasions as they might have resisted he laid them by them but rhey needed not have taken them up he tryed them by it but he did not tempt them to doe it So Adams sin God led him into a Temptation but it was but of trial not of seducement it was Temptatio probationis not seductionis he propounded a goodly tree to him and the fruit faire to the eye but the cause of all was their own consent and mutability which they might have resisted And for Gods Decree though they did nothing but what God decreed Gods purpose never decreed any sin should be wrought otherwise than as it is wrought by the propounding objects and occasions and leaving them to themselves and Satan but he never decreed to force any to sin therefore let God and his Throne be guiltlesse let iniquity rest on the wicked but Gods hand is not with it Vse 1. Is a just refutation of the Papists that impute it to us as if we made God the Author of Sin whereas we teach and beleeve that there is no sin in the world that is from the Father but from the world let no man when he is tempted say he is tempted of God for he findes nothing in sin to desire it but his care is to shew the wisdome of his Providence and Justice we say there is no sin but God gives occasion to if Shimei curse David the Lord bid him that is gives him opportunity so the Lord stirred up the Pharisees to Crucifie Christ but all this was not from God as a proper cause Suppose a man were Master of many Horses and one falls lame what shall not the Master ride on him because he halts it is not the Masters fault that the Horse halts but from some distemper or disease in the Horse and he knows it too yet he will not leave off using him for that what if God know if he send showers there will grow as well Weeds as good Corn and Herbs what then must he therefore restrain the showers no it is meet his Providence should be fulfilled what if the dunghill stinke by the Sun beams shall not the Sun therefore shine the Sun causes not the stink properly but the filth in the Dunghil so there is nothing but Gods Providence worketh what if his Providence turn many things to sin the fault is not in Gods Providence but mens corruptions but he is as far ftom the Sin as the Sun from stench Vse 2. To reprove all such foolish men as wrong Gods Providence that if they fall into any sin they impute it to destiny and if it be it is from God hand or else it had not been Deus impulsor fuit what a prophane thing is this for a man to impute his sin to God God is no more the cause
to look upon a Maid Job 31.1 so for drink Prov. 23.31 Prov. 4.15 it is a notable means of mortification to withhold the blood and spirits from flowing into that member thereby in a good measure they stupifie it Secondly Use some course to stupifie that part Thirdly Cut it off would you mortifie lust Beware of all occasions if such meats or drinks wilt make you Gluttons or Drunkards meddle not with them and so you shall hinder influence to these lusts apply the death of Christ the threatnings of God and so when it begins to stupifie cut it off better it is to want all the sinful pleasures of this life than having of them to be cast into Hell 2 Refrain from bringing forth fruit of these lusts the more fruitful a Tree grows the more sap and strength it draws and strikes deeper into thee earth so let sin once grow fruitful bring forth acts it will get deeper hold and grow so rooted that it will reign in you if you avoyd all occasions and yeeld not to satisfie the least of them it will soon be gone if a strange Dogg comes in if you feed him he stands waiting for one piece after another but if you beat him he is gone where he may finde better entertainment so if lusts find that they can have no entertainment they cannot get one morsell no yeilding to them but repulsing they will be gone from you where they may finde better welcome 3 When thou findest any lust of the flesh arising in thee turn the strength of it to a Spiritual end A man hath an affection to meat or drink what saith Christ I have meat and drink that ye know not of though he were very faint and hungry yet when he saw a company come he attended not to his meat and drink but there was Spiritual food and that comforted and refreshed him so art thou troubled with lust after Women and God calls thee not to Marriage why turn the strength of thy affection to another that is white and ruddy the fairest of ten thousand The more you set your heart to consider how amiable and beautiful and excellent he is you shall finde he will so satisfie your heart that you will finde little content in any other thing besides As the Sun if it shine hot on a fire it puts it out so the love of Christ if it once shine in your hearts and fill your souls with light and joy unspeakable and glorious you shall finde all base Kitching lusts were they never so vehement the Sun of Righteousnesse will soon eat them out so for love of idlenesse and rest let but a Soul consider what comforts he ever found in the favour of God when his left hand was under him and when God held him up in his everlasting Arms do but consider how sweet was one hour of that inward peace you found then above all outward comforts you shall easily see that though your body should never finde rest more yet this inward peace will so satisfie you that you will be ready to say with Paul I have enough I have learned in all these to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self-sufficient that I need not more Phil. 4.11 12. 4 Walk faithfully and constantly in your general and particular Callings the reason why a Christian grows carnal and sensual is because either in Gods Ordinances or his particular Calling hee was not spiritually minded walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Gal. 5.16 be spiritual and heavenly in Prayer in hearing the Word in your Calling and you shall finde your lusts decay otherwise he that rusheth into occasions of sin needlesly he tempts the Devil to tempt him so that whereas the Devil might otherwise be much weakened and not so able to overcome if we invite occasions and rush into such places where Satan reigns we thrust Weapons into Satans hand and a man never ordinarily leads himself into temptation but he falls let Peter go into the High Priests Hall he shamefully denies his Master before he come out therefore take heed of running into occasions of sin 2 Refrain from the fruits of sin and grow Spiritually minded look after Spiritual objects when we are carried to Sensual objects when we are carried to delight in pleasures and pastimes why let us remember Blessed is the man that hath not walked c. Psal 1.1 2 3. but his delight is in the Law of the Lord he recreates himself his Soul in that such a man shall be as a tree planted by the rivers of water ever sucking sap and grace from the Ordinances that so he grows up but contrary such a one as runs into occasions and fullfills his â—â—sts he shall be as a barren Heath and parched Wildernesse his leaf and fruit blasted We come now to the second sort of lusts Doct. Young and old are to be weaned from any lusts of the eye By the lust of the Eye is meant Covetousnesse or inordinate desire of profit 1 Because the Eye makes us covet it as Achan Josh 7.21 2 Because the eye in some measure is glutted with the sight of it Obj. Why doth he not speak of lusts of the Ear for 2 Tim. 2.4 there is an itching Ear thus the Athenians Acts 17 21 and so some have a strong affection to Musick and never well without it this is a lust of the Ear and why is not this reckoned as well as the lust of the eye Aquinas makes this Objection and answers it thus That these lusts stand not so much on the bodily eye as the imagination but the man may as well desire curiosities by the Ear as the Eye make us covet what it sees Answ The answer therefore is the Eye is the seat of sundry Faculties 1 It may be referred to the Understanding and Imagination for that is in the Soul Psal 33.18 2 The hope of a man is translated to his Eye 2 Chron. 20.12 sometimes pity Thine eye shall not spare Deut. 13. sometimes disdain expresseth it self in the eye sometimes pride Prov. 30. in a lofty look and the eye is put oft for the desire of the heart when the eye looks long after it Matth. 5.28 there is a desire that reacheth to something Psal 54. Psal 92.1 Mine eye also shall see my desire upon mine enemies not onely hopes but desires are ever in the eye It is true therefore that the desire of Melody is a lust of the flesh desire of news to satisfie curiosity affection of vain preaching tends to satisfie the pride of life for the lust of all outward senses as far as they satisfie the Senses and Body they belong to the lusts of the flesh but a longing earnest desire after profit is Covetousnesse which is a lust of the eye Q. 1. Wherein stands the lust of the eye A. Either when it is set on wrong objects or in excessive measure or to a wrong end and these the Scripture aims at if the
how little good will it be to that person that lives in the Church like a noysome humor hurtful and pricking the Church troublesome to the Church and Members thereof such a one is but an evil humor and it were better it were cast out nay content not your selves in being an ornament and supportance to the Church liberal for any good use and so Ministers you must not rest in this you are but as wooden leggs and glasse eyes and you lose by it unlesse you draw juice and nourishment from the body by the spirit rejoyce not therefore in this that you cleave to the Church and they to you but rejoyce that you are of that number whose names are written in heaven rejoyce in this that by the spirit and Faith you are knit to Christ rejoyce that you do any good office to the Church not for any by-respect but naturally Vse 4 Here is a direction to all societies what society to follow even the highest society that is even of the Church the company of Saints therefore if you would aspire to the best society you must not be such as are noysome humors hurtful one to another such will break off but be knit together in love with one consent joyn together So for all Members of the Congregation be doing good one to another be knit together you are all Members of the same Church let no outward respect dis-joyn Members you would think it a wofull thing to see a convulsion of the Members one limb puld from another so let no externall respect hinder fellowship therefore contend not for your profit or ease and so fall off from one another but contend to be helpfull one to another and grow up in love Vse 5 Of consolation to such as find their hearts knit to Christ by his ordinances and one to another this is good comfort you shall never depart one from another no true Member shall ever fall off either from Christ the Church or heaven 1 Joh 1.4.8 being one of the Church and added to the Church you are such a one as is appointed to salvation they that are in Gods Tabernacle shall one day dwell in his holy hill Psal 15. and he tells you what they are they that are Members of the Church militant here shall be Members of the Church triumphant in heaven your name is entred amongst the general assembly of the first born whose names are written in heaven Doct. Such as are true Members of the Church do keep continual fellowship with the Church and do never depart from the Church If they had been of us that is of our fellowship which is with the Father they would have continued for ever with us Psal 125.1 They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion which shall never be moved God gives a man true fellowship with him by trusting in him and such stand as a mountain or rock that cannot be removed an the cause of it is because God in a special manner protects them Gods protection stands as an hill about him so that none can climbe over God to come at them 1 Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God standeth sure c. the foundation some take it for election some for their faith such a man doth set to his seal that the Lord is true Q. How comes it to passe that they always thus keep communion with Christ and his members A. 1. They keep fellowship with Christ from the nature of that Covenant which Christ makes with all Believers it is opposed to a Covenant that may be broken Jer. 31.31 to 35. so that this Covenant cannot be broken where he opposeth this new Covenant to the first Covenant made with Adam which he brake but this cannot be broken for what should break it but sin but God will write his Law in their hearts c. and they shall not depart from him This Covenant is either exprest without condition or else such a condition as he will give us power to perform or else such a condition as Christ will perform for us therefore cannot be broken Obj. Is it possible that any Covenant should be without condition Is it not the nature of a Covenant to have a condition on both parts A. It sometimes requires none as Gen. 9. to 17. the Covenant God made with Noah he made a Covenant never again to destroy the whole World by a flood and yet there is no condition expressed on mans part but all the world knows that whatsoever the lives of men be be their sins never so great even as the sins of the Land yet God will keep this Covenant with them and not destroy the World by waters any more now this Covenant of Grace is likened to the Covenant he made with Noah that as that Covenant was without all conditions so the Covenant of Grace that God makes with us is absolute without condition so that he will remember us with everlasting mercy Isa 54.8 9 10. so that whosoever have made a Covenant with God to cleave to him in Christ he will never cast them off no more than he will drown the world 2 Though he do require a condition yet it 〈◊〉 such as he himself will perform so that I shall never forfeit his Covenant Jer. 32.40 God will never depart from them I but we may depart from him no God will put his fear in our hearts that we shall not depart from him so that though God requires faith and repentance and obedience yet he gives it to us or else we have Christ as a Surety that hath fulfilled all righteousnesse for us Heb. 7.22 if therefore I or my Surety pay as he hath done here no breach of Covenant can be made on our part because Christ hath fulfilled all righteousnesse so that though we be unfaithful and disobedient yet Christ hath undertook for us 2 From the Spiritual vigour and efficacy of that Grace which the Lord gives to every true member of the Church that Spirit which knits us to Christ and his Members 1 Pet. 1.23 is an immortal seed it is that spring which springs up unto everlasting life Joh. 4.14 Obj. True if we drink but we may cease drinking and so thirst A. But then it should not differ from Jacobs Well for as long as we drink of that we shall not thirst but this is opposed to that Heb. 10.39 he opposeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that whosoever draws back from Christ had never true faith Nay this grace is exprest as overcoming all the enemies of Salvation Sathan the World and the Flesh 1 Joh. 1.4 1 Joh. 5.4 Rom. 6.14 Sin that is your corruption shall not reign in you it may be remanent but not regnant it may Tyranize over us and lead us Captive but it shall not carry us willingly but it is a captivity to us very grievous and hard and we strive to get loose from it it may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
and favour shall follow them all their dayes and therefore they are confident 2 Tim. 4.7 8. what makes Paul thus bold because he knows he shall receive a Crown of Righteousnesse at his appearing Secondly From the effects of their confidence 1. They love the appearing of Christ and therefore manifest they look for it with confidence 2 Tim. 4.8 2. As they love Christs appearing so they pray for it Cant. 8. ult and therefore it is a sign with confidence they expect it Rev. 22.20 Did you ever know any Malefactor write to the Judge to hasten his coming to the Assizes No but they would rather prevent his coming but if they hasten his coming they are confident it shall go well with them the Prison is a burthen to them and at his coming they are confident to be freed Many Afflictions as so many bolts lie on Gods children many vexations therefore they desire the Lord to hasten his coming to rid them out of all their misery and revenge them of their enemies 3. As they are confident so they are not ashamed they professe his name here without shame and therefore Christ will not be ashamed of them at that day Vse 1. It reproves and refutes a Popish Doctrine of uncertainty of Salvation how could Christians love and pray for Christs coming if they did not know it should be well with them at that day this love and desire after it shews they are confident of their good estate Vse 2 Of tryall whether you abide in Christ or no why see how thou standest affected to the coming of Christ art thou bold and confident at the hearing of the last day art thou reverently bold and lolvest and prayest for his coming then it is a sign thou abidest in Christ but if the hearing of it strikes terrour into thee and thou wouldest gladly put it off surely thou art not in Christ the Day of Judgement to the Godly is a day of Marriage and therefore the Spouse longs for it to the wicked it is a day of Execution and therefore they tremble at the thought and hearing of it it is a day when he will shew himselfe marvellous in mercy to every Christian and in flaming fire to the wicked and ungodly consider then how thou art affected to this Day is it a day thy soul desires Come Lord Jesus come quickly even so Amen But is the consideration of it dreadful to thee that thou knowst not how to meet it then thy spirit is corrupt and not upright before God Obj. How comes it to passe that many a godly soul fears and trembles at death was not Hezekiah and David afraid of it Psal 30.9 Did not he say that though he walked in the shadow of death he would not be afraid and he is now afraid A. In two cases Gods children may be afraid to die 1. When they have loosly and negligently laid up the evidences of their estate as a man at the Assizes that is to try his Evidences if he have them to seek he desires the Assizes were put off 2. Sometimes he is fearfull when he knows he had lived somewhat loosly and his heart hath run a Whoring from God by some carnall delights so that he would gladly gather up himself better before he go hence and be no more seen because our hearts have gone whorishly from God we are affraid not that he will cast us off but that we shall not find that welcome which otherwise we should if we had time to recover our selves So David Psal 39. ult he was in some grievous Disease and somewhat conscious his spirit was not perfect but he had much weakned his grace therefore he prayes O spare me a little that I may recover my selfe before I go hence and be no more seen Hence oft Christians at their conversion are afraid of Death and Judgement because their Evidences are not so good and others afraid because they have blurred their Evidences by some sinfull delight and sitting loose from God but yet their fear differs from wicked mens wicked men tremble because they have no evidence at all but a godly man knows he hath evidences but he hath them not so ready and therefore desires to be deferred Vse 3. It may stir us up all as ever we desire to live comfortably and dye gloriously so to have a care to abide in Christ otherwise you will dye both with fear and shame but if you abide in Christ you may with boldnesse look Death in the face therefore abide not in your Naturall estate Civil honesty but abide in Christ It is a prophane and false speech of some Politicians that say Religion makes men cowards and never famous Warriors no doth that make us cowards that makes us look Death in the face and Judgement also were those cowards that have lookt Fire and Faggot and Torments in the face therefore it is not Religion but want of Religion that makes men cowards therefore strengthen your Faith and so you shall expect Christs coming with confidence and boldnesse and courage 1 JOHN 2.29 If ye know that he is righteous ye know that every one that doth righteousnesse is born of him IN the former Verse he had exhorted all to abide in Christ and that from an Argument of boldness and confidence at the day of Death and Judgement In his Verse he proves that such may have boldnesse they that are born of Christ are children of God may lift up their heads with joy at his coming a Childe is not afraid but glad of his Fathers coming but such as abide in Christ are born of God Ergo. But how doe they know they are born of God why they that doe Righteousnesse are born of God but those that abide in Christ doe Righteously how appears that they that know that Christ is Righteous they know that such as doe Righteousnesse are born of God Doct. 1. Jesus Christ is Righteous Isa 53.11 Mat. 27.19 24. That just one Acts 22.14 1 Pet. 3.8 Reas 1. From his Righteousnesse and innocent Conception and Birth he was not begot as other men but the Holy Ghost over-shadowed the Virgin 2. From his innocent Life he fulfilled all Righteousnesse Mat. 3.15 Heb. 4.15 John 14.30 Sathan could finde no sin in him to take advantage of 3. From the necessary use of his Righteousnesse he must be Righteous 1. To overcome the sorrows of Death one sin would have kept him under death Acts 2.24 25. but by his innocency he overcame death 2. That he might be an holy High Priest to us and a perfect Sacrifice for us Heb. 7.26 27. had he not been innocent and harmlesse he could not have been so the Priests in the Law were to be without blemish Lev. 2.17 to shew that the great High Priest should be so so was the Offering to be without blemish Lev. 27.7 and therefore requisite Christ should be so Heb. 9.4 3. It was needfull he should be righteous for the use and end of his
of beleevers This was Davids grief that he could not enjoy the company of good men Psal 120. Reas 1. For Gods singular love to them verse 1. What manner of love And if God love them so dearly we ought also to love them 1. From their love above all others back again to God when others sit loose in their affections Christians should love them that love God who hath loved them so dearly Psal 139.21 22. 3. From the truth that is in every Christian beleever 2 John 1.2 If a man loves Gold he loves to have true Gold so if we love any let us love them in whom is truth of other men not one of a thousand that hath truth in them you shall finde them no further loving then may be to their own ends in latter times men shall be lovers of themselves for in former times God did inlarge the worlds affections many brethren would have hazarded their lives for their friends but now no further love then they shall finde aliquid jucundum or utile But Christians love one another for the loves sake that is in them Many complain much that true friendshiip is gone it 's an hard thing to find a faithfull friend Prov. 20.6 This faithfullnesse in friendship is a proper badge of the Son of God John 13.35 15.19 Vse 1. This should teach Ministers with what affection they should speak to their people when they call them Beloved This ought not to be a word of complement but their hearts should go with it How can such call them Dearly beloved when they come at them but once a year how doe they love union with them or communication of good to them 2. This may be a direction to us all as we would approve the truth of our hearts before God to love all that are born of God as St. John he calls them Beloved Look at all beleevers as the Sons of God and look at them as beloved if they walk in the truth 3. This may be a reproof of all such as estrange themselves from Christians yea many there be that are glad of any advantage to trouble them that are born of God they are far from St. John's spirit There are some that will not maligne and oppose them but yet if they be such as are poor from whom they can get neither pleasure nor profit they estrange themselves from them But St. John calls any Beloved in whom he findes the truth of grace There is no Christian but hath something for which he ought to be beloved there is something in them worthy our imitation You shall finde more comfort in your love to poor weak Christians then if you fasten your love upon more eminent persons and greater in place Doct. 2. That the ignorance that the world hath of Gods children and our obscurity and weaknesse in the world doth not hinder our present good estate in the world Now we are the Sons of God now that we are afflicted in the world Isa 54.11 which shews you that though the children of God be afflicted and weather-beaten yet God hath promised such blessings to them as may make them blessed in the world vers 13.14 Isa 43.3 4. Though we be led through the water and fire of affliction yet in the midst of all our troubles when we are passing through the Lord promiseth that he will be with us and that he will be our comfort in the midst of persecution and temptation Thus you see how dear and precious Gods children are in his sight David when he saw the prosperity of the wicked that all went well with them then he began to think that he had cleansed his herat in vain but soon afrer when he went into the Sanctuary of the Lord then he saw that the Lord set them but in slippery places Therefore howsoever it seem in our eyes that it goes well with the wicked yet let us not despair God will guide his children by his counsell and afterward receive them to glory You may hear Job complaining of his poor and miserable estate Job 19.18 19 20. he had now no more comfort left him then he had skin on his teeth and therefore he cryes to his friends to pitty him vers 21 22. And what do you think was the rejoycing of his soul in the midst of the anguish of his spirit and affliction of body being all consumed away with misery he tells you vers 25. to v. 27. Yet I am sure my redeemer liveth So that what though his present estate be miserable and his future happy estate be obscure to the world yet he knows when Christ shall appear he shall be like him Col. 3.3 4. as the Apostle speaks Our life is hid with Christ in God Reas 1. Taken from our likenesse to the Son of God Christ Jesus who was in such a poor condition as that though the birds of the air had nests yet the Son of man had not where to lay his head yet all this while he was the Son of God in whom alone he was well pleased Mat. 3.17 And as it was with Christ our head so may we look it should be with us his members Rom. 8.29 If God did see it meet that his Son should be thus afflicted in the world and drinke of such a bitter portion of Gods wrath let us not think we shall go to heaven and partake of those heavenly mansions which Christ hath prepared for us but we also shall drink of the same cup that he drank of Let us account our selves happy that God will so esteem of us to make us his Sons Reas 2. From the freedome of Gods love to men And first that he doth not esteem of them according to their outward lustre 1 Sam. 16.7 God seeth not as man seeth Ps 22.6 This is meant of Christ So Isa 53.3 Secondly That he doth not esteem of them according to their inward estate Ezek. 16.16 Deut. 7.8 8. So that though there be much pride and stubbornnes of heart found in Gods children and oftentimes in a great measure against God yet all these inward corruptions do not hinder our future glorious estate Vse 1. This should teach the children of God to be content with their estates They are indeed apt to think that if the world do not esteem of them but are ready to put many injuries upon them and to persecute them with hatred that they are not Gods children or else they murmur and grieve within themselves And if the world do sometimes esteem of them yet if their health liberty and maintenance be taken away then they think surely they have cleansed their hearts in vain and washed their hands in innocency Psal 73.13 As for the men of the world they are in prosperity they suck water out of a full cup their eyes start out with fatnesse and they have more then they can wish But David can tell them when he went into the Sanctuary that he saw that God had set them
the reins distempers men so the stone in the heart distempers the heart and judgment God looks at this as the disease of his children Vse 1. To shew a broad difference betwixt those that are born of God and those that are not 1. Those that sin unto death are not born of God God keepeth his from that sin 2. They that take pleasure in sin and make a trade of sin Gods children doe not so 3. If men live in secret sins against knowledge and conscience they are not as yet born of God their will and affections are not with God but against him Vse 2. To teach us all to make a favourable construction of the failings of Gods people we must not beleeve every one that reports evill of them Those that are born of God when they commit any great sin their repentance is as exemplary as that sin as is seen in David and Peter 3. For comfort to such christians as finde their judgments and wills upright hating and abhorring the sins they commit complaining and shaming themselves for them If the judgment and heart be with God and against sin God looketh at them as not sinning But this must not make us secure and carelesse of repenting and being grieved for sin From the scope St. John aimeth at in this discourse to wit that he that is born of God sinneth not and therefore this ought to be a motive to such as hope to see Christ and to be like him to purge themselves note thus much Doct. That the exemplary walking of the children of God ought to be an effectuall motive to every Christian not to walke in the wayes of sin but to purge themselves 1 Cor. 11.16 When the Apostle dehorts men from wearing long hair and women from shearing their hair the argument he useth is We have no such custom which argument were of no force except the examples of Gods servants were an effectuall motive to stir us up to the same wayes 1 Cor. 14.33 There is a decency in all churches of God therefore he pleads against their confusion Let all things be done with decency comely and without confusion Psal 52.9 This is a reason why we should wait upon God because it is good in the eyes of his Saints Reas 1. God commands it God hath set this as the royall way Phil. 3.17 This is the high-way to heaven God would have all to walke in the trodden path of his people 2. It is a matter of comfort to our souls it will excuse us from many doubts of our own hearts and many slanders which might be cast upon us If a member have a motion not guided by the body you look at it as a Palsie distemper that we have 3. From a discomfort we put upon our Brethren when we Walke in such wayes as are contrary to them they walke in a blamelesse course if we shall walke in sinfull wayes we put upon them breaking of heart Philip. 3.17 18. When the Apostle saw men walke in wayes contrary to Gods it was the griefe of his heart Vse 1. This is a notable comfort to every soule that stands in a mammering what way to take Walke in holy wayes like Gods people think not they are solitary wayes and singular ones no if you walke in good wayes you shall not goe alone all good company have gone this way some will goe out of their way for good company Walke in a way free from sin so shalt thou have good company and in this only 2. It disswades from sin gird up thy loyns from it When we walke in the wayes of sin none goe that way but had company and it will be a shrewd argument against you Mar. 7.23 3. To guide us to a wise observation of the wayes of godly men Though there be no godly man but hath his failings for which he blusheth before God yet none of them but have something in their wayes whereby you may purge your selves None of them but come nearer Christ in something then you there is something wherein they purge themselves more then you Have respect to the generality of their wayes God hath been alwayes wont to guide his servants into wayes of innocency If God guide them into good wayes then follow them Obj. May I not be deceived Answ True sometimes generally Gods people goe wrong Exod. 32.19 Aaron and most of the people dance about the Calf The people of God took up a custome of carrying the Ark in a cart from the Heathen the shoulders of the Levites should have carried it 1 Chron. 13.5 6 7. When David saw his error for he was troubled for Vzzah his death he said 2 Chr. 15.2 none should carry the Ark of the Lord but the Levites So true it is the generality of Gods people might goe wrong if they were all met together in a counsell but though they may goe astray yet take them not at theâ—r starts their ordinary courses are good David and his people though they went wrong yet presently after they saw their errour 2. Look at the pattern of Gods people so as that thou weigh them in the ballance of the Sanctuary Have your wits excercised in the Scripture that so you may discern of their wayes and that you may so far follow them as they goe right Doct. Whosoever sins had never any clear sound knowledg of the Lord Christ hath not seen him Sight implies cleernesse certainty know him he speaks of such a knowledg whose ground is experience Word Spirit Phil. 3.10 whose fruit is obedience 1 Joh. 2.3 whose end salvation Joh. 17.3 Reas 1. Men that have had an experimentall knowledge of God they have a spirit within them that they cannot sin Gal 5.17 If they doe their conscience will so smite them as that they shall be glad to be rid of it the Spirit keeps possession for God 2. From the perseverance of Saints or else they should never have fellowship Vse 1. To refute the doctrine of the Papists who say that a man that is in Christ may fall away St. John here refutes them If they sin they never knew him Stella cadens nunquam stella cometa fuit 2. As we would rivet this comfort in our soules that we have knowne and seen Christ let us keep our hearts innocent from sin 3. Of consolation to such a soul as hath formerly seen Christs death purging sin in him Though we be weak and think we shall not hold out yet God will keep us from sin and comfort us against the aspersions cast upon Religion by the sins of professors Whosoever sins never knew nor saw Christ 1 JOHN 3.7 Little children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousnesse is righteous even as he is righteous THE Apostle had shewed that all hopefull Christians do cleanse themselves from sin It might be objected We have false Teachers that teach otherwise as Simon Magus was let loose at that time and taught the free use of women The Apostle meets
in the throne of a mans heart Conscience is our companion God much more Psal 139. Reas 2. God is our witnesse therefore when we speak soberly we call God to witnesse He is a Judge Heb. 10.3 an Executioner and therefore if Conscience sees cause to condemn us God much more if Conscience see cause to acquit us God much more Psal 139.2 3. Vse 1. A signe of our present estate and what God will doe concerning us if we live and die thus What saith thy Conscience if thy heart assure thee thou lovest thy Brother 2 Cor. 1.12 That thou savourest not sin that thete is no good duty but thou wouldst doe thou hast been humbled for thy sins Conscience hath been an Executioner and yet hath come with pardon sealed to thee with the broad seal of Heaven If thou seest one spark of sincerity in thee God sees more Obj. May not a mans conscience be deceived Rom. 3.17 Luke 18.9 to 14 May not a man say I have no guilty conscience Answ Conscience sometimes bears false witnesse Tit. 1.15 16. If a man have a defiled conscience it will deal falsly A mans conscience through ignorance and partiality doth bring a false verdict As it is many times with a Jury ignorance of law and false evidence makes them bring a false verdict but then send them back again and shew them better evidence and the law c. So Conscience doth oft-times bring a false verdict but its thorough ignorance of the Law of God or partiality Doth thy conscience speak bitter things Consider what the grounds are If such as doe argue thee dead in trespasses and sins then know that God doth call thee from heaven to repentance If it tell thee thou art an hypocrite consider what grounds it hath Conscience may be muzled by ignorance and partiality the Devill puts false glasses before our eyes 2. A ground of serious humiliation to every mans heart whose conscience upon due examination doth accuse him 3. To teach every Christian which hath found that he hath passed from death to life to be afraid to commit any sin And comfort thy soul if Conscience do acquit thee then will God much more 4. Labour we always to be doing some good for we have a companion that hears and sees all and a register that notes every good word or work The Apostle in stead of telling us If our hearts condemn us God will condemn us much more He gives a reason of it describing God 1 From his greatnesse 2 Knowledge Doct. God is better acquainted with our hearts and wayes then our selves Psal 19.12 He means sins not onely secret and hidden from others but from our selves Psal 139.12 Thou Lord knowest my thoughts afar off they are ever before thee 2 Kings 8.11 12 13. Reas 1. From Gods omnisciency his all-sufficient knowledge Heb. 4.13 They are anatomized before him as if every vein and sinew were laid open he divides between the marrow and the bone John 21.12 Rom. 15.11 Job 26.6 Though hell and destruction be both covered yet before the Lord they be both open Whether Hell be in the waters or on the earth they cover not from God Hell and destruction are before the Lord how much more the hearts of the children of men 2. From the creation God made our hearts gave us power to affect think purpose He knoweth what is in us Job 38.36 If God give understanding to the heart he knows much more what is in the heart Psal 33.13 God hath fashioned our hearts therefore he knows them Psal 99 10. 3. From the providence of God We have our motion in God A Mill moves from the Miller because he hath caused it so to doe but the motion of the Mill is not in the Miller it can move without him We move in God as a supportant conservant cause as a Mill moved by the breath of the winde so we by the breath of the Lord as there is not a turning in the Mill but from the winde so not a turning of our hearts without him Our hearts are in the hands of the Lord Prov. 21.1 4. From the unsearchable depth of the deceitfulnesse of mans heart Jer. 17.9 10. Prov. 3.17 Our hearts make us believe we are rich and have need of nothing when indeed we are wretched and miserable poor blinde and naked Prov. 30.2 3. Sometimes that we are more foolish than any man and have not the understanding of a man while we walk in a sinfull way they make us believe we are in Gods favour Luke 18.9 When we are in a good estate and God would have us walk chearfully in him our hearts will cast a thousand discouragements upon us we cannot pray or profit by the Word of God or doe any good duty our hearts will few pillows under our elbowes that so we may sleep quietly but when we go to try our hearts by the Word of God then they will fall out with us indeed 2 Sam. 15. the beginning Vse 1. Take heed of all secret sins Not onely such as may be hid from men but of such roots of sin as are hid from thy selfe yet cannot be hid from God Take heed of such sins as are so subtle that thou knowest not whether they be sins or no sins which our own soules know not of If a man would be kept from presumptuous sins he must cleanse the inward and hidden frame of his heart Q. How shall we cleanse our hearts A. 1. Pray to God with David Psal 19. to cleanse us from such sins which we know not We have confessed such sins as we know by our selves and those which the world knows by us but we must make a new reckoning for such sins as we know not 2. Not to trust our own hearts but the Word of God Psal 119.9 The Word of God saith there are such sins in every age therefore we must pray to God to help us against them 3. Keep our hearts with all diligence observe every winding and turning and take heed of occasions that provoke our hearts any way to sin Prov. 4.23 2. This shews the impossibility of their good estates that look to be justified by habits and works It is the happinesse of Gods servants in that they look not to be justified by the perfection of their hearts 3. Ground of tryall If we finde that our hearts doe not condemn us let us trust our hearts no farther then we prove them by the rule of Gods Word If God hath helped you to look up to Christ for the pardon of your sins and you now sit loose from sin it is an argument that your sins are pardoned because we could not else hate sin Psal 119.6 But on the contrary if we finde our hearts condemning us our hearts are full of selfe-love Parents are full of partiality as that they can scarce see any evill in their children If they see cause of death in them much more God the righteous Judge If they see cause of
call in question our hopes of eternal life because we love not our brethren 2 To exhort us to put this will of our heavenly Father in execution Christ did shew us an example in his life death urged it upon his Disciples God hath bequeathed a testimony of love from our hearts to our brethren Rom. 13.8 this is a due debt we must pay it out of our hearts and if we do not so no wonder if our wills be not executed As God loves us manifestly graciously bountifully so should we our brethren Prov. 27.5 1 Cor. 16.14 be bounteous in your love so shall you enjoy peace and comfort to your soules we shall keep the wrath of God from us procure good to others and our selves for many generations Since God hath loved and blessed his people let us love and blesse them and make it our happinesse to be doing his will 1 JOHN 4.12 No man hath seen God at any time If we love one another God dwelleth in us and his love is perfected in us IN these words the Apostle stirs us up to brotherly love and that from the benefit of it which is two-fold 1 Fellowship with God vers 13 14 15 16. 2 From the perfection of his love to the end both mentioned in the 12 Verse The fellowship we have with God is invisible No man hath seen God a any time How can we love God since we never saw him We never saw our own souls nor ever shall yet we know that such we have and without such we could not subsist No man hath seen God Doct. That our fellowship with God and Christ it is not outward and visible but inward and consists in love Joh. 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time no man hath had speech face to face with God the Father the onely begotten Son that lay in the bosome of the Father hath revealed him 1 Tim. 1.16 He dwels in that light that no eye can attain unto whom no man hath seen nor can see his light is so glorious that no man can behold it when Moses desired to see God face to face God answered None could ever see him and live Exod. 33.10 Obj. Jacob saw God when he wrestled with him Gen. 32.24 Jacob saw not God the Father but Jesus Christ he is called an Angel and Hosea cals him an Angel Chap. 12.4 2 No man hath seen the Son in his glorious presence in the presence of his Nature and Essence But Moses saw God face to face Exod. 33.11 Answ He did not see his glory vers 18. though in some sence he saw his face Moses saw Gods back parts but his face he could not see vers 23. What is meant by Gods back parts That is spoken of God according to the manner of men Numb 12.8 Quest What was it that Moses saw when he saw Gods glory Answ That he should see him in a glorious resemblance he should see him in his attributes which did wonderfully affect Moses that glorious similitude was such as that it was wonderful glorious so that it did make his face to shine vers 35. And as the out-side was glorious so was the in-side of Moses heart inlarged which made him go in and out before the people in this manner they saw Christ Matth. 17.1 to 5. they were so affected they knew not what they said Quest Why cannot we see Gods face and live Ans First from the frailty of flesh and blood The presence of God would swallow us up we are not capable of beholding God the Father Son or holy Ghost when we are in heaven we shall be changed 2 From the sinful corruption of humane nature his glorious presence which is a consuming fire would consume us When Isaiah saw God in a similitude but in a glimpse of his presence then said he Isa 1.5 Woe is me for I am undone because I am unclean he was afraid of his life though he saw God but in a similitude Vse 1. To teach us how to understand many places of Scripture that speak of Gods manifesting himself to any understand not God the Father but Jesus Christ assuming a humane body they saw him face to face or spake mouth to mouth or they saw a similitude of God his glorious attributes 2 Be willing to put off mortal infirmities so shall we see God face to face Phil. 1.23 2 Cor. 12.1 2 3 4 5. 3 Of tryal whether we have communion with God or no 1 You never heard God the Father nor the Son God hath now delivered all his counsell in his Word by his Son yet we may have familiar sensible affectionate communion with God Heb. 1.1 2 We may finde God revealing himselfe to our hearts and consciences Psal 73.24 25. That he is the chiefest joy other feares and cares take us not up Heb. 11.27 4 It stirs us up to the love of our brethren No man hath seene God at any time but have communion with him and communion of love God loves his people we have communion with God Psal 16.2 3. The Papists ask for Images can there be any better resemblance of the Father then the Son his Image and in loving and having communion with Gods Image that is like him they kill his living Images to honour dead Images It is the greatest love we can shew to God to love his Image Doct. Where love dwels God dwels for God is love Vers 16. What is it for God to dwell or abide in us God is said to dwell not where he is but where he loves to be and so doth a man Now God loves to be where love is God loves not to be where malice and discontent is God being a God of peace loves to dwell in a place of peace or else he dwels not God indeed is all the world over if we go to Hell he is there if to Heaven he is there but yet he doth not dwell every where Isa 57.15 If where the Devill dwels all that he possesseth is in peace much more God who is the God of peace loves to be where peace is keeps that peace which passeth understanding There is a two-fold peace that passeth understanding 1 The peace of that soule whose sins are pardoned Phil. 4.7 2 The peace of that soule whose sinnes are mortified now where God is where God keeps the soul there is peace that passeth understanding both pardoning sin and mortifying corruption When Jacob was with Laban and Joseph in Potiphars house all was well much more will all be well where God himself is Reas 1. From Gods nature for God is love where sparks flye out of the Chimney there is fire so where you see love in the lips carriage and heart of a man there is the presence of the blessed God 2 From Gods operations Where God dwels he pardons sin and purifies the conscience or prospers the outward man and there is a spirit of love in that mans heart where God freely pardons there is much forgiven
where is much forgiven there is much love Luk. 10.43.47 where we have a thousand forgiven we shall be ready to forgive an hundred Ephes 4. ult 2 He purges filth If our hearts be purified from uncleannesse and sinfull distempers there the heart runs clear in love and there dwels 1 Pet. 1.21 But if the heart be full of mud it will run foul in hatred 3 He works love If we love our brethren it must be from the love of God in us if there be love it is from God if there be hatred it is from the Devill Judg. 9.23 it is said That he sent an evill spirit between Abimilech and the men of Shechem Where Satan dwels he will set all on fire all hatred and wrath is from hell and it will so kindle that it will consume one another Fire from hell doth not warm it scorcheth Ephes 4.17 If we give way to sinful wrath we give place to the Devil Love cannot be from the Devil 2 This love is not from the world Jam. 4.4 3 This is not from our flesh Jam. 4.5 Therefore it must spring from God who makes peace pardoning our sins and mortifying our corruptions Quest But may there not be peace where Satan is Luk. 11.21 Answ He dwels in peace but a false peace for the wrath of God lyes on that soul as a mans house when it is on fire he being asleep he sleeps but not securely 2 This peace is a peace of a mans own conception Obj. There may be much peace and much love and I have known much true hearted love amongst men that have nothing but the light of Nature much more where is the light of Gods common grace shall we say God dwels not here Answ The Spirit speaks not of civill love but of such a love as wherein God dwels pardoning sin and mortifying sin which he never doth in natural men there may be found good nature in men but that love which evidences pardoning and healing of sin is not found in natural men this love differs from carnal love 1 This love reacheth not to the body onely but to the soul Lev. 19.16 17. If we love not the soul of our brother our love is not true love 2 Christian love reacheth to strangers and enemies as well as neighbours and friends good natured love may reach to strangers but not to enemies 3 Christian love will be stronger to our brethren then worldly love though Christian love may be damped yet it will over-flow good natured love that comes from a little fountain a little thing will stop it but Christian love springs from heaven and no man can make a dam to stop it Vse 1. Of tryal of Gods fellowship with us whether God dwell in our hearts or no where God once dwels he always dwels John 10.27.28 who shall put him out he is stronger then all Quest How shall I know whether God dwell in my heart or no Answ Ask thy soul whether God dwell in thee or no not good natured love but that love which desires peace of conscience and purity of thy owne heart and of thy brothers 2 Cor. 7.8 9 10. 2 This should teach us all to walk in a frame of brotherly love to abound in tenderness of spirit to one anothers souls not to provoke one another to wrath and seduce from ways of salvation but to be helpful one to another in our spiritual estate God loves to lye in a bed of love God will not dwell where love dwels not therefore keep open house for the spirit of love God is where he loves and he loves to be where love is wrath malice and hatred smoaks God out of doors a man performs no duty pleasing to God while wrath is in his heart Doct. That such as love in brotherly love the love of God is perfect in such vers 16 17. His love is perfect in us he doth not mean that love which God hath shed abroad in our hearts for there is no love of God but is perfect in every man but his love is perfect that is that love by which we love God If our love be not wanting to our brethren our love is perfect towards God What is meant by perfect Perfect is diversly taken sometimes it is taken for sound and unfaigned thus Amaziah did not that which was good in the sight of the Lord with a perfect heart 2 Chron. 15.2 But David and good King Hezekiah did that which was good in the sight of the Lord with a perfect heart 2 King 18.3 that is without hypocrisie and rottennesse Let a man professe love to God and not love to his brother his love is not true but hypocritical but if a man unfeignedly love his brother he doth soundly love God a man cannot finde God pardoning his sins healing his infirmities but he will love his brethren and do good offices to them 2 Perfect is all one with entire as a childe is then said to be perfect when he hath all the parts of a man this perfectnesse is opposed to that which is maimed so his love is perfect which is entire to God and man All our duty is to love God and to love our neighbour as our selves 1 John 4.21 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to walk humbly with thy God that is to expresse thy love to God and to do justice and love mercy that is to our brethren Mic. 6.8 This is perfection of spirit Rom. 13.10 Therefore saith the Apostle He that loves fulfills the Law the law of the first and second Table and God would have the chiefest part of our love to him expressed in our love to our brethren 1 Cor. 13.12 the chiefest of those is love we do God more honour by faith and hope but we edifie the Church more by love so that God requires as we see 1 Cor. 13.1 2 3. our love to him to be expressed by doing good to the sons of men Hence our Saviour will reason with the sons of men at the last day Come ye blessed of my Father Matth. 25.34 to the end so that all the love God expects we should shew to him should be poured out to our brethren if thou be righteous what dost thou then give to God Job 35.6 7 8. 1 Cor. 11.10 I have abounded more then they all saith St. Paul by the grace of God and that good was by doing many good offices to the Brethren hence God would have all the sons of men to serve him in their general callings with such graces 1 Cor. 16.14 as they may shew forth in their particular callings in doing all their duties in love when David was earnest with God for the pardoning of his sins Psal 51.8 vers 18. and 12.13 shewes you that as he would spend himself in Gods praise so he would labour to bring on others in the ways of grace 3 Perfection of degrees which he
fear him but it casts out all tormenting fear it casts out the fear of the day of judgement and so consequently of Gods wrath 2 Thes 3.5 He prays that the Lord would direct their hearts into the love of God Why what is the fruit of that And into the patient waiting for of Christ when a mans heart is once directed to the love of God he is prepared to wait for the coming of Jesus Christ Jude vers 21. Keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ unto eternall life So much love as you keep in your hearts towards God so much expectation you keep in your hearts against the day of his appearing the like may be said of keeping our hearts in love to our brethren Jam. 2.13 Mercy rejoyceth against judgement Reas 1. From the proper nature and effect of love Love thinks no evill 1 Cor. 13.5 This is the work of love in the heart it bows the heart to take all in good part that God doth against it so that though we find much disquiet and anguish and torment yet love makes the soul take all in good part so that it thinks no evill of God For particulars 1 The soul thinks thus though I feel much smart and anguish yet I cannot but think it well that God should apply such corasives to my wrankled festered wounds 2 The soul takes it well that God shews him all the danger before times of sicknesse or death that he shews him this out of Hell and awakes him before he comes there it 's a great mercy that I have yet time of mercy that Hell hath not swallowed me up but that he hath given me so fair a warning to prevent it 3 A loving soule takes Gods dealing in this kind in very good part as being a notable preservative against many sinful distempers he should have fallen into by these anguishes he drives me from the world and putting off GOD for after-times this makes us seek God speedily there is no man when grace knocks at his heart that quite rejects the motion but defers it but these tormenting fears are like hooks in a fishes belly they draw us to God presently 4 The soule takes it in good part in that by these fears of conscience he is brought better to attend on Sermons to be conversant in the Scripture more to like good company better This though it quite casts not out tormenting feare yet it makes all to be taken in good part for that the soule hereby grows more meek and lowly and by this means he begins to find rest to his soule When a man begins to take Christs yoke and beare it patiently and learn of him to be meek and lowly he finds rest to his soul then he is not in torment 2 Effect of true hearted love it stirres up a man to seek him whom I â— soul loveth and the very seeking prepares the heart to rest for such a soule when he hath found Christ will not let him go till he be possessed of his love Cant. 3.4 Whereas the soul that wants love runs away from God as Adam and Cain Saul fled from God in their distresse but love is in the midst of all these tormenting feares gathers up the soul that it runs not to musick nor mirth or any evill means to quiet it but provokes the heart to seek God by all good means and so casts out fear 3 Love of God makes us afraid of all sin and conscionable to obey in all things All that love God hate sin love maketh us hate sin and affects us with a desire to keep Gods Commandements and to be doing good John 14.23 Now both these lead to tranquility Psalm 79.10 11. There is a double ground of comfort to those that begin to hate evill out of love to God First The Lord preserveth such a soul Secondly Light is sown for such which in time will sprout up to manifest comfort therefore Psalm 79.12 he saith Rejoyce in the Lord ye righteous Love likewise provokes us to be fruitful in goodnesse and if we be so Christ promiseth that he will manifest his favour and familiarity to such John 14.23 Reas From the object of love which is alwayes some good and if the soule love good God will be good to it Psal 79.1 Truly God is good to Israel In the midst of many fears and doubts and griefs in the midst of all like the Sunne through a cloud he breaks out yet God is good to Israel Now when a man in the midst of evill can looke at God as good this makes way to quiet all as he expresseth vers 24 25.28 29. When the heart conceives of God as good it scatters all doubts und fears wherewith the soule is possest that though his heart and flesh faile yet God is his portion for ever Vse 1. Of direction to them that have to deale with troubled spirits where they may apply comfort a man comes and complains bitterly of the burthen of his soule Why as yet there is no sure ground of applying of comfort but when you can discern any fruit of love in their expressions if you finde them taking all in good part and blessing God that by this meanes he is pleased to break them off from their owne sinful wayes and draw them closer to himself then you may safely apply comfort but otherwise if you see men murmuring against Gods hand why truly that feare hath torment and that soul is not sound-hearted This is true love to love God when he is angry and to take it in good part that God should deal frowardly and crabbedly with a froward and â—â—ooked heart Vse 2. For them that find their hearts overwhelmed with fears doubts and yet are unwilling to come to his frame of spirit that think they have not lived so badly as some have done convince them they have deserved more then this that so they may take all in good part 〈◊〉 then if they be possest of Gods love in this and apprehend â—â— there is way 〈◊〉 â—â—mfort and peace Vse 3. For you that finde disturbance and anguish of soule it may be a ground of consolation and direction to you 〈…〉 heart pricked with the torment of sin consider how thou findest thy 〈…〉 to God doth thy soul say to God in 〈◊〉 deepest anguishes as 〈…〉 Thyâ— art just in all that is come upon us thou hast done righteously but we have done foolishly Dost thou take it in good part and blesse God that in very faitfulnesse to thy soul he hath afflicted thee If thou 〈…〉 thy self to God and puttest thy mouth in the dust willing to be turned any way so that he will set thee in a good way Why then there is a spirit of love in thee which in time will cast out all fear there are now 〈◊〉 of light and joy sown which ere long will sprout forth to thy endlesse comfort Vse 4. May teach them
their heat as when a man means to put out the fire he layes one brand from another a signe he means to goe to bed and sleep so when Satan would put out the life and heat of grace in a Family or Town he disjoynts Christians and so they fall into security and grow dead in sins and trespasses all their heat is quite extinguished Therefore the Apostle exhorts us not to forsake the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is Heb. 10.25 2 Pet. 1.21 See that ye love one another with pure hearts fervently Obj. If this heat be alwayes found where life is how comes it to passe that the hearts of Christians are so cold and dead How comes a Christian to be so unprofitable if he digest the Word Doe not Christians meet and afford little warmth and help one to another Luke 24.32 The two disciples hearts burned when Christ talked with them a signe before he came and chafed them up they were cold and dead-hearted Answ True Christians oft-times finde a marvellous coldnesse and benummednesse of heart that they finde little warmth in their breathing in their prayers or conferences and this comes partly from want of supply of new fuell when they walk in their own strength without looking up to Christ for new supply and partly by pouring cold water upon it that is some noysome lusts that put out the grace of God or else the use of outward comforts with wordly hearts these cast cold water on the fire as the fire is put out either by withdrawing the fuell or by casting water on it But yet though this be their fault yet even then when they want chafing and heat there is some striving in them which argues life so much life as in them so much heat As for those two Disciples that went to Emaus though their hearts burned whilest Christ spake yet before Christ came they were talking of Christ and of his sufferings which made them sad then Christ comes and puts life O fools and slow of heart to believe This blew up the sparks in them So much as a Christian hath lost of his heat so much of his life if his warmth be smothered his life is smothered Now this warmth is sometimes exprest in sad looks and pantings and deep sighs and groanings and mourning for his forlorn estate and surely there is life in that for in griefe the heat runs to the heart But worse then this a Christian sometimes vanisheth away in much frothy emptynesse outwardly rejoycing in worldly comforts when there is no life within Peter when he denyed his Master his heart was fill'd with griefe and sorrow and he went out and wept bitterly But what say you to David when he had committed adultery how did he go on from one sin to another He can make Vriah drunk and then kill him and then make no matter of it he is carelesse in all this as if he had quite lost all life and affection to God there was not the least beating of the pulse of a Christian such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that a man that knew him not before might have written in his forehead a man forsaken of God without any life of grace in him Where now was Davids life None so far gone as he 't is a question whether he prayed or no all this while as some Christians have so lost themselves as for three years together they have not prayed at all as doubting of any acceptance because they were so sinfull yet there is some habit of grace but hardly one act of life yet still this holds true so much warmth so much life as by the Almighty power of God there may be fire and yet no heat as the fiery furnace though made seven times hotter then ordinary yet God so restrained the act that it did not so much as singe the garments of the three children that were cast into it Dan. 3. So è contra there is a marvellous hellish power in sin so as it will suspend all the acts of grace so as a Christian may expresse no acts of grace but lye as a man in a deep swound without life and motion that can be discerned and yet this you shall finde in a Christian at such times a listlesnesse of his heart to sin that he cannot break out into sin with all his strength and power as he did in his naturall condition and the ground is this because there is still flesh and spirit in him so that as the spirit cannot doe what good it would so the flesh cannot doe that evill it would Gal. 5.17 And when a Christian is most lively yet there is still some faintnesse and weaknesse in him so è contra when grace is most weak and corruption most strong yet he cannot commit sin with all his strength as formerly he hath done but he goes about sin unwillingly not with the full sway that he was wont to doe he goes listlesly about it Try your selves therefore by these signes if thou hast Christ thou hast life if life thou hast warmth and heat look to thy knowledge doth it puffe thee up and not edifie Dost thou magnifie thy selfe by it If it be lively knowledge it is joyned with zeal as Christ revealed himselfe to the Church of Thyatira Rev. 2.18 Thus saith the Son of God whose eyes are like flames of fire writing to the Church of Thyatira that was warm in love and growing up therein he revealed himselfe according to the state of the Church as having eyes like flames of fire as that Church had zeal with her light so that if thou hast a true knowledge thy eyes are like flames of fire what thou knowest thou dost with zeal and fervency of spirit as Peter and John said We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard that is which we have certain knowledge of Acts 4.20 See Jer. 20.9 1. Consider therefore whether thy knowledge be joyned with zeal How dost thou breath dost thou smell a sweet savour in the Word Then there is breath in thy nostrills 2. Dost thou breath warmth in prayer pant and sigh after God In thy conference dost thou expresse life and heat Then thou art a living Christian 3. How dost thou finde thy stomach to the Word dost thou relish it or else art thou ashamed of thy unprofitablenesse Then there is life 4. Dost thou love to be disjoynted from thy Brethren like brands cast one from another Then there is no life Life loves to preserve it selfe if you sit loose one from another all heat and life goes out religion ceaseth there is a bidding farewell to all Christian duties but if you see bone joyn to bone one gather to another then you shall see flesh and sinews will cover them and life will come in Ezek. 37.7 Put brands together and there will be some fire and heat propagated 2. A second property of life Where life is there is some plyablenesse and
people so they cast the imputation of ignorance upon God as if God had been mistaken when he sent his Word that believers might believe and they think that reading the Word would make them hereticks Vse 3. For you that do believe be frequent in reading the Word for to you it was written that you might believe Meditate there on day and night The blessed will finde a time to meditate on Gods Word every day and every night and this you shall â—â—â—le very effectuall to the increase of your faith The King himselfe whose employments were greatest the Lord â—aid a charge on him to read in the Book of the Law all the dayes of his life Deut. 17.14 And much more is every private man bound to it If these God hath sanctified to help us in our belief then as ever you would believe â—e diligent in hearing reading conferring examining and meditating on the Word all these are notable means to increase and inlarge our saith therefore if thou â—e wanting in faith consider whether thou hast not been wanting in this practise take away the Word and take away the fuel of your faith And for you that believe not though this Scripture was not so much written for you yet because hearing is the only way of faith 〈◊〉 10.17 be diligent in hearing the Word preached Prov. 8 3â—â—5 Blessed it be that heareth â—â— for whose findeth me findeth life And when you have heard be careful to search and â—â—amine whether the things preached be agreeable to Gods Word By this means many that believed not before have been taught to believe and be careful to conferre on the Word The Lord hath sanctified the Word preached and the Word examined and the Word conferâ—ed aboue to the begetting of faith and the Word read to the increasing of faith â—herefore be steâ—uâ—â— in these and withall joyn hearty prayer to God 1 Tim. 4.4 â— that he would open thine eyes and cause thee to understand and bow thine heart to imbrace every truth that so every ordinance may be effectual to thee to the 〈…〉 and increasing of faith in thee 1 JOHN 5.14 15. And this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us And if we know that he hear us whatsoever we ask we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him VErs 18. he had shewed a double soone of his writing thâ— atte◠〈◊〉 that they might believe on the Name of the Son of God This he exhorts Christians to vers 14 15 16. by three arguments 1 From the confidence such may have of the hearing of their petitions verse 1â—4 2 From the certain knowledge such may have that their prayers are granted 3 From the prevalency of our prayers with God that as we shall be assured of the granting of our petitions so we shall thereby obtain life for our Brother that both not sinned a sin unto death Doct. A prayer that is made well never speeds ill Or thus A prayer made according to Gods will God will grant according to our will Notable is that incouragement Christ gave to the Woman Matth. 15. â—6 O 〈◊〉 I great is thy faith Be it unto thee even as thou wilt As if God would let such into his privy treasury and grant them what they would For explication Q What is it to pray according to Gods will These two things it holds forth at the first view 1. When we pray for such things as are agreeable to Gods will viz. his revealed will we should ask nothing but what he commands us In the Lords prayer Christ tels us what he would have us pray for for those things we have warrant to pray 2. What ever we ask we ought to ask with submission of our wills to Gods will So did Christ himselfe Matth. 26.39 Not as I will but as thou wilt But for further inlargement 1. A man is said to pray according to Gods will partly as his will is exprest in his word and partly as his will is revealed in our hearts For the will of God exprest in his Word 1. God requires that we should ask for nothing but what he commands us to doe and therefore had need to pray for whatever duty God requires of us that we are to pray for So did David Psal 119.4 5. 2. Whatsoever we pray for God commands us to ask it in the Name of Jesus Christ Joh. 16.22 23 24. To ask in the Name of Christ requires two graces of us Humility and Faith Humility of spirit in prayer is exprest in four acts 1. We acknowledge our selves lesse then the least of Gods mercies Gen. 32.10 So that if God should grant him nothing he would justifie God 2. Another act of Humility is to pray in sense of our insufficiency to think a good thought much more to pray according to Gods will 2 Cor. 3.8 Rom. 8.26 3. A man prayes in Humility when he doth not desire God to satisfie any of his sinfull lusts but that Gods will may be done Matth. 26. vers 39. 4. To pray in Humility is to make mention of no mediation in our prayers but onely of Christ Col. 2.18 They made a shew of Humility as not being so bold as to have immediate accesse to God therefore put up their prayers through the mediation of some Angell but to goe lower then God allows is but pride of heart 2. To pray in the Name of Christ is to pray in Faith Which is exprest in four acts 1. Faith directs us to put up our prayers onely to him on whom we believe Rom. 10.14 But we believe only in God therefore neither Saints nor Angels nor the Mother of Christ the Virgin Mary are to be prayed to but we are to pray to our Father onely Gal. 4.5 6. Rom. 8.15 2. Faith makes us come with some child like confidence to God as our Father 1. By Faith we come to God as our heavenly Father in Christ and well affected to Christ as loving us himselfe Joh. 16.36 2. We come to him as a Father Almighty full of goodnesse readyer to give then we to ask 3. A third act of faith is for a man to come truly cleaving unto Christ not standing in demurre whether we had best leave our lusts or no whether we had best become altogether Christians or no. This wavering cannot stand with faith for it 's such a wavering as whereby he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a double-hearted man an heart for God and an heart for the world sometimes for God sometimes for his own lusts Let not this man think he shall receive any thing Jam. 1.6 7 8. 4. A fourth act of faith is to believe that what we have asked according to Gods will he will certainly grant Matth. 11.24 So far as you have asked with submission to his will so far will he grant according to your wills and though he deferre yet make account your prayers are heard